Progressive alteration of dynamic functional connectivity patterns in subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment patients

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 122; pp. 45 - 54
• Main Authors: Sang, Linqiong, Wang, Li, Zhang, Jingna, Qiao, Liang, Li, Pengyue, Zhang, Ye, Wang, Qiannan, Li, Chuanming, Qiu, Mingguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain state dynamics; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cognitive impairment; Dementia, Vascular - etiology; Dynamic functional connectivity; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Resting-state fMRI; Subcortical ischemic vascular disease; Resting-state fMRI; Brain state dynamics; Dynamic functional connectivity; Subcortical ischemic vascular disease; Cognitive impairment
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.11.009

•There were 4 recurring brain connectivity patterns across all subjects.•The temporal evolution of brain states was gradually altered with cognition decline.•A switch to strongly connected states was more difficult in patients than in controls.•The connectivity between attention and default network played a role in transition. Alterations in the temporal evolution of brain states in the process of cognitive impairment aggravation due to subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) is not understood. The dynamic functional connectivity was investigated to identify the abnormal temporal properties of brain states associated with cognitive impairment caused by SIVD. Eighteen patients with subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (SIVCIND), 19 dementia patients (SIVaD) and 26 normal controls were enrolled. We found that the occupancy rate and mean lifetime of brain states were associated with cognitive performance. SIVCIND had a higher occupancy rate and longer mean lifetime in weakly connected states than normal controls. SIVaD had similar but more extensive changes in the temporal properties of brain states. In addition, switching from weakly connected states to more strongly connected states was more difficult in SIVCIND and SIVaD patients than in normal controls, especially in SIVaD patients. The results revealed that not only the transition to but also maintenance in strongly connected states became increasingly difficult when SIVD-related cognitive impairment progressed into a more severe stage.