Longitudinal resting-state functional connectivity and regional brain atrophy-based biomarkers of preclinical cognitive impairment in healthy old adults

Uwisengeyimana, Jean de Dieu; Nguchu, Benedictor Alexander; Wang, Yaming; Zhang, Du; Liu, Yanpeng; Jiang, Zhoufan; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Qiu, Bensheng

doi:10.1007/s40520-021-02067-8

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Longitudinal interrogation of resting state connectivity has been used with human study participants to examine changes in network structure in relation to cognitive aging or neurodegenerative disease over the course of years (Li et al, 2018;Li et al, 2020;Lin et al, 2020;de Dieu Uwisengeyimana et al, 2022). In some of these studies, enhanced functional connectivity over time was associated with cognitive resilience (Lin et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A unique aspect of the current study was that resting state functional connectivity was examined longitudinally in rats that were either cognitively trained on the PAL task or walked around a track for food reward during the intervening weeks between scan sessions. Longitudinal interrogation of resting state connectivity has been used with human study participants to examine changes in network structure in relation to cognitive aging or neurodegenerative disease over the course of years ( H. Li et al, 2018 ; W. Li et al, 2020 ; Lin et al, 2020 ; de Dieu Uwisengeyimana et al, 2022 ). In some of these studies, enhanced functional connectivity over time was associated with cognitive resilience ( Lin et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Training Alters Functional Connectivity Patterns in Aged But Not Young Male Rats

Gaynor

Ravi

Zequeira

et al. 2023

eNeuro

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Age-related cognitive decline is related to cellular and systems-level disruptions across multiple brain regions. Because age-related cellular changes within different structures do not show the same patterns of dysfunction, interventions aimed at optimizing function of large-scale brain networks may show greater efficacy at improving cognitive outcomes in older adults than traditional pharmacotherapies. The current study aimed to leverage a preclinical rat model of aging to determine whether cognitive training in young and aged male rats with a computerized paired-associates learning (PAL) task resulted in changes in global resting-state functional connectivity. Moreover, seed-based functional connectivity was used to examine resting state connectivity of cortical areas involved in object-location associative memory and vulnerable in old age, namely the medial temporal lobe (hippocampal cortex and perirhinal cortex, or PRC), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and frontal cortical areas (prelimbic, or PRL, and infralimbic cortices). There was an age-related increase in global functional connectivity between baseline and post-training resting state scans in aged, cognitively trained rats. This change in connectivity following cognitive training was not observed in young animals, or rats that traversed a track for a reward between scan sessions. Relatedly, an increase in connectivity between PRC and PRL, as well as reduced reciprocal connectivity within the RSC, was found in aged rats that underwent cognitive training, but not the other groups. Subnetwork activation was associated with task performance across age groups. Greater global functional connectivity and connectivity between task-relevant brain regions may elucidate compensatory mechanisms that can be engaged by cognitive training.Significance StatementCognitive impairments in advanced age have been linked to reduced resting state functional connectivity in humans and rats. Resting state functional connectivity is typically examined at a single time point. Thus, little is known regarding the robust versus adaptive properties of these networks in old age. The current study reports longitudinal changes in global connectivity as well as connectivity involving the medial temporal, frontal, and retrosplenial cortices in aged rats that were trained on a rodent touchscreen version of the paired associates learning task. This work is significant because it shows that the functional organization of brain networks in aged rats is adaptive, and this could be leveraged to design behavioral therapies for improving cognitive function in old age.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Training Alters Functional Connectivity Patterns in Aged But Not Young Male Rats

Gaynor

Ravi

Zequeira

et al. 2023

eNeuro

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Currently, rs-fMRI is primarily employed to detect functional and connectivity alterations in AD patients, MCI patients, and healthy populations. Additionally, it offers biomarkers, including neuronal dysfunction, neuronal loss, and cognitive decline in older adults, facilitating the early diagnosis and prevention of AD 21 , 22 . A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was performed on MCI patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimodal magnetic resonance scans of patients with mild cognitive impairment

Cui,

Liu,

Wang

et al. 2023

Dement. neuropsychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The advancement of neuroimaging technology offers a pivotal reference for the early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a significant area of focus in contemporary cognitive function research. Structural MRI scans present visual and quantitative manifestations of alterations in brain tissue, whereas functional MRI scans depict the metabolic and functional state of brain tissues from diverse perspectives. As various magnetic resonance techniques possess both strengths and constraints, this review examines the methodologies and outcomes of multimodal magnetic resonance technology in MCI diagnosis, laying the groundwork for subsequent diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for MCI.

show abstract

Engineering Virtuous health habits using Emotion and Neurocognition: Flexibility for Lifestyle Optimization and Weight management (EVEN FLOW)

Smith,

Whitson,

Merwin

et al. 2023

Front. Aging Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Interventions to preserve functional independence in older adults are critically needed to optimize ‘successful aging’ among the large and increasing population of older adults in the United States. For most aging adults, the management of chronic diseases is the most common and impactful risk factor for loss of functional independence. Chronic disease management inherently involves the learning and adaptation of new behaviors, such as adopting or modifying physical activity habits and managing weight. Despite the importance of chronic disease management in older adults, vanishingly few individuals optimally manage their health behavior in the service of chronic disease stabilization to preserve functional independence. Contemporary conceptual models of chronic disease management and health habit theory suggest that this lack of optimal management may result from an underappreciated distinction within the health behavior literature: the behavioral domains critical for initiation of new behaviors (Initiation Phase) are largely distinct from those that facilitate their maintenance (Maintenance Phase). Psychological factors, particularly experiential acceptance and trait levels of openness are critical to engagement with new health behaviors, willingness to make difficult lifestyle changes, and the ability to tolerate aversive affective responses in the process. Cognitive factors, particularly executive function, are critical to learning new skills, using them effectively across different areas of life and contextual demands, and updating of skills to facilitate behavioral maintenance. Emerging data therefore suggests that individuals with greater executive function are better able to sustain behavior changes, which in turn protects against cognitive decline. In addition, social and structural supports of behavior change serve a critical buffering role across phases of behavior change. The present review attempts to address these gaps by proposing a novel biobehavioral intervention framework that incorporates both individual-level and social support system-level variables for the purpose of treatment tailoring. Our intervention framework triangulates on the central importance of self-regulatory functioning, proposing that both cognitive and psychological mechanisms ultimately influence an individuals’ ability to engage in different aspects of self-management (individual level) in the service of maintaining independence. Importantly, the proposed linkages of cognitive and affective functioning align with emerging individual difference frameworks, suggesting that lower levels of cognitive and/or psychological flexibility represent an intermediate phenotype of risk. Individuals exhibiting self-regulatory lapses either due to the inability to regulate their emotional responses or due to the presence of executive functioning impairments are therefore the most likely to require assistance to preserve functional independence. In addition, these vulnerabilities will be more easily observable for individuals requiring greater complexity of self-management behavioral demands (e.g. complexity of medication regimen) and/or with lesser social support. Our proposed framework also intuits several distinct intervention pathways based on the profile of self-regulatory behaviors: we propose that individuals with intact affect regulation and impaired executive function will preferentially respond to ‘top-down’ training approaches (e.g., strategy and process work). Individuals with intact executive function and impaired affect regulation will respond to ‘bottom-up’ approaches (e.g., graded exposure). And individuals with impairments in both may require treatments targeting caregiving or structural supports, particularly in the context of elevated behavioral demands.

show abstract

Longitudinal resting-state functional connectivity and regional brain atrophy-based biomarkers of preclinical cognitive impairment in healthy old adults

Cited by 3 publications

References 53 publications

Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Training Alters Functional Connectivity Patterns in Aged But Not Young Male Rats

Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Training Alters Functional Connectivity Patterns in Aged But Not Young Male Rats

Multimodal magnetic resonance scans of patients with mild cognitive impairment

Engineering Virtuous health habits using Emotion and Neurocognition: Flexibility for Lifestyle Optimization and Weight management (EVEN FLOW)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About