An fNIRS-based investigation of cerebral hemodynamic responses during verbal fluency task and n-back task in individuals with mild cognitive impairment

作者：Can Duan, Yufei Chong, Jingyi Gong, Qingqing Wu, Jialing Sun, Chanjuan Zheng, Zhengliang Li, Lirong Xia, Zhen Cheng, Peiwen Zhang, Wenguang Xia · 发表于：Frontiers in Neurology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fneur.2025.1571964 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques、Sleep and related disorders、Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Background: Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is crucial for preventing Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aims to explore alterations in brain co-functional connectivity between cognitively healthy individuals and those with cognitive impairment during a verbal fluency task (VFT) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The investigation examines changes in brain activation patterns in both MCI patients and healthy controls during the VFT and 1-back task, and identifies correlations between cognitive function and brain activation areas using fNIRS technology. Methods: This study evaluated markers for screening MCI by performing the VFT and 1-back task using a 67-channel fNIRS to measure changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) levels in the bilateral prefrontal and temporal lobes of 108 healthy controls (HC) and 103 participants with MCI. The severity of patients' symptoms was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated with the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: Compared with the HC group, the MCI group showed a significant reduction in MoCA scores, with no significant differences in education level, PSQI, and SCL-90 scores. There was no significant difference in brain activation levels between the MCI and HC groups during the VFT. However, during the 1-back task, the MCI group exhibited significantly reduced a...