Distinctive Alterations of Functional Connectivity Strength between Vascular and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Hui Li,Xiuqin Jia,Tao Jiang,Kuncheng Li,Shuai Gao,Clive.R Bramham

doi:10.1155/2021/8812490

Abstract

Widespread structural and functional alterations have been reported in the two highly prevalent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes, amnestic MCI (aMCI) and vascular MCI (VaMCI). However, the changing pattern in functional connectivity strength (FCS) remains largely unclear. The aim of the present study is to detect the differences of FCS and to further explore the detailed resting-state functional connectivity (FC) alterations among VaMCI subjects, aMCI subjects, and healthy controls (HC). Twenty-six aMCI subjects, 31 VaMCI participants, and 36 HC participants underwent cognitive assessments and resting-state functional MRI scans. At first, one-way ANCOVA and post hoc analysis indicated significant decreased FCS in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in aMCI and VaMCI groups compared to HC, especially in the VaMCI group. Then, we selected the left MTG as a seed to further explore the detailed resting-state FC alterations among the three groups, and the results indicated that FC between the left MTG and some frontal brain regions were significantly decreased mainly in VaMCI. Finally, partial correlation analysis revealed that the FC values between the left MTG and left inferior frontal gyrus were positively correlated with the cognitive performance episodic memory and negatively related to the living status. The present study demonstrated that different FCS alterations existed in aMCI and VaMCI. These findings may provide a novel insight into the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying different MCI subtypes.

Highlights

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), associated with deficits in multiple cognitive domains without notable affection on daily activities, is regarded as a risk state for dementia [1]
It has been a notion that vascular MCI (VaMCI) subjects exhibit significant impairment in executive function and semantic memory while amnestic MCI (aMCI) subjects show predominant deficits in episodic memory [4]
Functional connectivity (FC) changes are predominantly found in the default mode network and the medial temporal lobe [5, 6, 14]

Summary

Introduction

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), associated with deficits in multiple cognitive domains without notable affection on daily activities, is regarded as a risk state for dementia [1]. It has been a notion that VaMCI subjects exhibit significant impairment in executive function and semantic memory while aMCI subjects show predominant deficits in episodic memory [4]. Widespread structural abnormalities and functional alterations have been reported in both VaMCI and aMCI groups [5,6,7,8]. Using diffusion MRI scanning, microstructural deteriorations within the corpus callosum, capsule, periventricular white matter, cingulum, and occipitofrontal fasciculi have been reported [10,11,12]. Yu et al reported significant differences in the relationship between fractional anisotropy (FA) and the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) between the VaMCI and aMCI groups [13].

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