Apathy and resting state functional connectivity across the Alzheimer's disease continuum

This study examined how apathy symptoms and awareness of those symptoms relate to resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI) across the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum using network segregation metrics.

There were eighty-three participants, including cognitively unimpaired (CU; n = 46), cognitively impaired (CI; mild cognitive impairment or AD dementia, n = 21), and mild behaviorally impaired (MBI; n = 16) individuals. Apathy was measured using the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES)-Self, AES-Informant, and discrepancy scores (informant minus self). Models tested associations between rs-fcMRI segregation and apathy. Rs-fcMRI was computed using pairwise correlations.

In CI individuals, dorsal attention network segregation related to greater apathy and reduced awareness of apathy, while in those with MBI, salience network segregation was linked to less apathy.

Network-level connectivity disruptions differentially relate to apathy and reduced awareness across the AD continuum.