EEG coherence as a marker of functional connectivity disruption in Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Progressive deterioration of connectivity between neurons is a neurophysiological hallmark of brain ageing and has been linked to the severity of dementia. We explored the possibility of utilizing electroencephalographic evidence of functional connectivity disruption as a potential marker of Alzheimer's disease. This study examined group differences in EEG coherence within global cortical networks at rest and during executive challenges among patients with Alzheimer's dementia, individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and healthy controls. Four promising EEG coherence markers were identified as (i) F3-F4 Beta in visual-spatial orientation task (p = 0.019), (ii) P7-P8 Beta in writing task (p = 0.001), (iii) T7-T8 Gamma in speech understanding task (p = 0.008) and (iv) O1-O2 Alpha in space orientation task (p = 0.020). More research is needed to identify the sensitivity and specificity of the markers.