Imbalance, compensation, and rigidity in brain functional connectivity and microstates among older adults with cognitive impairment

作者：Fengfei Ding, Shuqi Jia, Xin Xin, Shufan Li, Cong Liu, Zhaohui Guo, Qing Liu, Xinlong Ma, Wei Chen, Xing Wang · 发表于：Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s12984-025-01803-9 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Functional Brain Connectivity Studies、Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research、Traumatic Brain Injury Research

OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to analyze the coordinated patterns of spontaneous neural activity and instantaneous electrical activity in the brain using dual-dimensional indicators of brain functional connectivity and microstates, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for early screening and precise classification. METHODS: A case-control study design was utilized, with 195 older adults suffering from cognitive impairment (with a roughly equal distribution of mild and moderate cases) serving as the case group, and 65 healthy older adults matched as the control group. Participants were required to complete a demographic questionnaire, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, after which 5 min of eyes-closed resting EEG signals were recorded. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the average strength and density of brain functional connectivity within the δ and θ frequency bands among older adults with different cognitive levels, indicating that higher average strength and density corresponded to more severe cognitive impairment (P < 0.05). Older adults with varying cognitive levels showed significant differences in both static features (Duration, Coverage, Occurrence) and dynamic features (transition probabilities) of microstates A, B, C, and D (P < 0.05). In terms of static features, stronger temporal characteristics of microstates B and D were associated ...