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Homocysteine Modulates Brain Functional Connectivity in a Memory Retrieval Task.
Richard B Silberstein1,2, Andrew Pipingas1, Andrew B Scholey1
1Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
High homocysteine levels correlate with altered brain connectivity in men at risk for cognitive decline. This link is evident at concentrations above 11μmol/L, suggesting homocysteine impacts brain function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Metabolic Health
- Cognitive Aging
Background:
- Homocysteine, a metabolite of methionine, is linked to cognitive decline and dementia.
- Early stages of age-related cognitive decline show increased brain activity and functional connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and brain functional connectivity.
- Focus on late middle-aged males at risk for cognitive decline due to BMI and sedentary lifestyle.
Main Methods:
- Measured brain functional connectivity using steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) event-related partial coherence.
- Participants (n=38) performed object recognition and location memory tasks.
Main Results:
- A transient peak in correlation between homocysteine and fronto-parietal brain functional connectivity was observed before the location memory task.
- This correlation was significant only in participants with homocysteine levels > 11μmol/L.
Conclusions:
- Increased brain functional connectivity in early cognitive decline may represent pathological changes, not compensatory mechanisms.
- Homocysteine may impair cortical network inhibition necessary for optimal task performance.
- The effect of homocysteine on brain connectivity is apparent at concentrations above 11μmol/L.
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