Increased pre-alpha functional connectivity in dementia with Lewy bodies

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Neurodegenerative dementias, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), impact cortical functional connectivity.
• DLB is associated with a pre-alpha rhythm, indicating frequency-specific network dysfunctions that require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate abnormal cortical functional connectivity in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using resting-state electroencephalography (EEG).
• To test the hypothesis that DLB patients show altered EEG-based functional connectivity patterns.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state EEG data were collected from 73 DLB, 70 AD, and 41 healthy control (HC) participants.
• Lagged linear connectivity (LLC) was computed using eLORETA across multiple frequency bands (delta, theta, pre-alpha, alpha, beta, gamma).

Main Results:

• DLB patients showed significantly greater fronto-occipital connectivity in theta and pre-alpha bands compared to AD and HC groups.
• Both DLB and AD groups exhibited reduced alpha band connectivity compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state pre-alpha activity in DLB is not a localized phenomenon but indicates enhanced functional connectivity.
• Findings suggest potential propagation of dysfunctional thalamocortical connectivity along fronto-occipital tracts in DLB.