Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can affect multiple cognitive abilities, leading to difficulty in performing complex, cognitively demanding daily tasks, such as driving. This study combined driving simulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate brain function in individuals with MCI while they performed a car-following task. The behavioral driving performance of 24 patients with MCI and 20 healthy age-matched controls was compared during a simulated car-following task. Functional brain connectivity during driving was analyzed for a separate cohort of 15 patients with MCI and 15 controls. Individuals with MCI had minor difficulty with lane maintenance, exhibiting significantly increased variability in steering compared to controls. Patients with MCI also exhibited reduced connectivity between fronto-parietal regions, as well as between regions involved in cognitive control (medial frontal cortex) and regions important for visual processing (cuneus, angular gyrus, superior occipital cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex). Greater difficulty in lane maintenance (i.e., increased steering variability and lane deviations) among individuals with MCI was further associated with increased connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and inferior frontal gyrus, as well as increased intra-cerebellar connectivity. Thus, compared to cognitively healthy controls, patients with MCI showed reduced connectivity between regions involved in visual attention, visual processing, cognitive control, and performance monitoring. Greater difficulty with lane maintenance among patients with MCI may reflect failure to inhibit components of the default-mode network (PCC), leading to interference with task-relevant networks as well as alterations in cerebellum connectivity.
Highlights
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often conceptualized as being a continuum, between typical age-related cognitive changes and the more moderate to severe deficits characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementia
The present study addresses this need by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and driving simulation to identify patterns of functional connectivity associated with MCI and MCI-related driving difficulty
There were no significant differences between patients with MCI and healthy controls on any demographic variables
Summary
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is often conceptualized as being a continuum, between typical age-related cognitive changes and the more moderate to severe deficits characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementia. Some individuals with MCI progress to AD or related dementia, many maintain their clinical status or improve and revert to normal healthy aging. More research has suggested that individuals with MCI may exhibit modest difficulties or impairments when performing more complex daily activities, such as managing finances and driving [2,3,4,5]. Previous on-road [11] and simulator-based studies [12,13,14,15] have reported that patients with MCI exhibit minor difficulties when driving, rather than definitive impairment, with lane maintenance [11,15] and car following [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
