Brain Structural Connectivity Differences in Patients with Normal Cognition and Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging, particularly diffusion imaging, have allowed researchers to analyze brain connectivity. Identification of structural connectivity differences between patients with normal cognition, cognitive impairment, and dementia could lead to new biomarker discoveries that could improve dementia diagnostics. In our study, we analyzed 22 patients (11 control group patients, 11 dementia group patients) that underwent 3T MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. We reconstructed DTI images and used the Desikan–Killiany–Tourville cortical parcellation atlas. The connectivity matrix was calculated, and graph theoretical analysis was conducted using DSI Studio. We found statistically significant differences between groups in the graph density, network characteristic path length, small-worldness, global efficiency, and rich club organization. We did not find statistically significant differences between groups in the average clustering coefficient and the assortativity coefficient. These statistically significant graph theory measures could potentially be used as quantitative biomarkers in cognitive impairment and dementia diagnostics.

Study on Brain Structure Network of Individuals with Different Space Navigation Ability

“…Eg is the total e ciency of information transmission between all nodes through multiple paths; increasing Eg means less interference in information transmission and robust synchronization between different cortical regions. In this study, Eg is consistent with other studies on the relations hippocampus(HIP) between global e ciency and the cognitive ability of brain networks; that is, global e ciency is an essential predictor of working memory performance [29].…”

Disrupted structural connectivity and less efficient network system in patients with the treatment-naive adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…We cannot deny the possibility of reduced sensitivity in detecting WM due to our DTI acquisition parameters. However, previous studies that performed DTI like the DTI acquisition parameters in our study and performed similar analyses using DSI Studio demonstrated pathologically relevant results ( 52 , 53 ). Finally, healthy control participants in the present study had high IQs.…”

Diffusion spectrum imaging of patients with middle cerebral artery stenosis

“…In other words, the left and right MCA stenosis groups had disrupted structural network and rich club organization. In fact, some researchers also indicated that patients with AD and cognitive impairment had disrupted structural networks and club organization by He et al, 2008 , Stam et al, 2007 , Daianu et al, 2015 , Zdanovskis et al, 2021 ).…”