Latent brain state dynamics predict early amyloid accumulation and cognitive impairment

Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation is a continuous process central to pathological aging that begins decades before cognitive impairment emerges. While subthreshold Aβ levels have been linked to future decline in cognitive control, the neural mechanisms connecting this early accumulation to its neurocognitive impact are poorly understood. Brain circuit dynamics, which are essential for cognitive function, may offer a sensitive lens into these initial pathological changes. Here, we tested whether brain state dynamics could serve as sensitive markers for cognitive impairment at an early stage of Aβ burden. Using the Bayesian Switching Dynamic System (BSDS) model, we identified 4 distinct latent brain states from high-temporal-resolution (800 ms) fMRI data acquired from 116 older adults, including 72 cognitively normal (CN) individuals and 44 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), during an N-back working-memory task. Adopting a dimensional approach, we examined how latent brain state dynamics relate to early amyloid burden, cognitive performance, and clinical symptoms. While Aβ levels failed to differentiate clinical groups or predict clinical symptoms and task performance, the dynamics of latent brain states proved highly sensitive to both early Aβ accumulation and cognition. Canonical correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between brain state dynamics and early Aβ burden. Furthermore, the temporal properties of brain states were significantly predictive of working memory performance in CN individuals, a relationship that was selectively disrupted in the MCI group. The features of brain dynamics can also successfully predict cognitive impairment. Our findings establish brain state dynamics as sensitive neural markers of initial Aβ accumulation and early cognitive impairment, offering a new framework for developing predictive models to identify individuals at risk for future cognitive decline.