S32 Investigation method of neurodegeneration through brain connectivity modulation

Abstract

Human behavior and cognition are characterized by engagement of functional distributed networks within the brain. Such networks organization is especially significant for higher functions including abstract reasoning, memory and action planning and requires a high degree of intra-modal and inter-modal integration of information flow arriving from several, different and often remote brain sources. It will be reported the topological changes in functional brain networks during physiological and pathological aging by graph theoretical analysis of resting-state EEG recordings. Furthermore, evidences illustrate possible way to investigated neurodegeneration such as in Alzheimer’s disease through the study of the brain connectivity modulation. Theoretical graph approach is a promising tool, able to catch some global and local features in the functional connectivity patterns estimated from the EEG along the physiological and pathological brain aging. Applying modern graph theory looking for EEG pathological brain aging from both cortical sources powers and connectivity to a large cohort allowed us to demonstrate a continuous line connecting normal elderly subjects and demented patients passing through MCI. Altogether, we concluded that coupling measures can discriminate cortical network features distinguishing physiological from pathological neurodegenerative brain aging.