Virtual brain and electroencephalography explain the variance of memory alterations in mild cognitive impairment
Abstract
Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous clinical condition characterized by a wide spectrum of cognitive and behavioural manifestations. Despite numerous studies, the link between neuropsychological performance and pathophysiological signatures of the disease-including Aβ and tau accumulation along with altered excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance and brain rhythms-remains elusive.
Methods: Here Aβ/tau biomarkers were used to distinguish positive (MCI+- prodromal Alzheimer's disease) and negative (MCI-) subjects in a cohort of 30 MCI patients (18 MCI+ and 12 MCI-). Virtual brain models based on high-field magnetic resonance imaging data were then developed to determine the inter-node coupling and E/I profile in resting-state networks, while node spectral information was obtained from source analysis of high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG). Finally, virtual brains and HD-EEG parameters, creating brain digital twins of individual subjects, were correlated with cognitive performance.
Results: While virtual brain simulations did not reveal E/I differences between MCI+ and MCI-, a positive correlation emerged between synaptic parameters of the limbic network and verbal episodic memory for both groups. EEG power spectral density revealed a lower high-frequency/low-frequency ratio in MCI+ largely due to a reduced alpha band in the default mode, limbic, attention, frontoparietal, visual and somatomotor networks. A strong correlation emerged between…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 30 participants or records.
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