EEG spectral analysis as a putative early prognostic biomarker in nondemented, amyloid positive subjects

• Published in: Neurobiology of aging Vol. 57; pp. 133 - 142
• Main Authors: Gouw, Alida A., Alsema, Astrid M., Tijms, Betty M., Borta, Andreas, Scheltens, Philip, Stam, Cornelis J., van der Flier, Wiesje M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta; Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Biomarkers; Clinical progression; Cognitive Dysfunction - diagnosis; Cognitive Dysfunction - metabolism; Disease Progression; Early Diagnosis; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; Prognosis; Prognostic biomarker; Proportional Hazards Models; Electroencephalography; Clinical progression; Amyloid beta; Alzheimer's disease; Prognostic biomarker
• ISSN: 0197-4580; 1558-1497; 1558-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.05.017

We studied whether electroencephalography (EEG)-derived measures of brain oscillatory activity are related to clinical progression in nondemented, amyloid positive subjects. We included 205 nondemented amyloid positive subjects (63 subjective cognitive decline [SCD]; 142 mild cognitive impairment [MCI]) with a baseline resting-state EEG data and ≥1-year follow-up. Peak frequency and relative power of 4 frequency bands were calculated. Relationships between normalized EEG measures and time to clinical progression (conversion from SCD to MCI/dementia or from MCI to dementia) were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. One hundred eight (53%) subjects clinically progressed after 2.1 (IQR 1.3–3.0) years. In the total sample, none of the EEG spectral measures were significant predictors. Stratified for baseline diagnosis, we found that in SCD patients higher delta and theta power (HR [95% CI] = 1.7 [1.0–2.7] resp. 2.3 [1.2–4.4]), and lower alpha power and peak frequency (HR [95% CI] = 0.5 [0.3–1.0] resp. 0.6 [0.4–1.0]) were associated with clinical progression over time. In amyloid positive subjects with normal cognition, slowing of oscillatory brain activity is related to clinical progression.