EEG Microstate Differences Between Alzheimer's Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Healthy Controls Using 4 and 7...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share overlapping symptoms, making early diagnosis challenging.
• Accurate differentiation of dementia subtypes is crucial for effective treatment and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis in differentiating dementia patients from healthy controls.
• To identify reliable EEG microstate markers for early dementia diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state EEG data were collected from 36 AD patients, 23 FTD patients, and 29 healthy controls.
• EEG data were preprocessed and analyzed using microstate analysis (MICROSTATELAB in EEGLAB).
• Temporal parameters of EEG microstates were compared across groups and correlated with cognitive scores (MMSE).

Main Results:

• Specific EEG microstate parameters (e.g., microstates B, D, C, G) significantly differentiated dementia patients from controls.
• Ratio-normalized microstate parameters demonstrated improved group discrimination.
• Microstate alterations were associated with cognitive decline, as measured by MMSE scores.

Conclusions:

• EEG microstate analysis reveals alterations in large-scale brain dynamics associated with dementia.
• This method provides a promising, non-invasive tool for distinguishing dementia patients from healthy individuals.
• EEG microstates can serve as valuable biomarkers for early dementia detection.