Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep;39(9):e6138.
doi: 10.1002/gps.6138.

EEG Functional Connectivity Differences Predict Future Conversion to Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment With Lewy Body or Alzheimer Disease

Jahfer Hasoon  1 , Calum A Hamilton  1 , Julia Schumacher  1   2   3 , Sean Colloby  1 , Paul C Donaghy  1 , Alan J Thomas  1 , John-Paul Taylor  1
Affiliations

EEG Functional Connectivity Differences Predict Future Conversion to Dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment With Lewy Body or Alzheimer Disease

Jahfer Hasoon et al. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2024 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Predicting which individuals may convert to dementia from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains difficult in clinical practice. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a widely available investigation but there is limited research exploring EEG connectivity differences in patients with MCI who convert to dementia.

Methods: Participants with a diagnosis of MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD) or Lewy body disease (MCI-LB) underwent resting state EEG recording. They were followed up annually with a review of the clinical diagnosis (n = 66). Participants with a diagnosis of dementia at year 1 or year 2 follow up were classed as converters (n = 23) and those with a diagnosis of MCI at year 2 were classed as stable (n = 43). We used phase lag index (PLI) to estimate functional connectivity as well as analysing dominant frequency (DF) and relative band power. The Network-based statistic (NBS) toolbox was used to assess differences in network topology.

Results: The converting group had reduced DF (U = 285.5, p = 0.005) and increased relative pre-alpha power (U = 702, p = 0.005) consistent with previous findings. PLI showed reduced average beta band synchrony in the converting group (U = 311, p = 0.014) as well as significant differences in alpha and beta network topology. Logistic regression models using regional beta PLI values revealed that right central to right lateral (Sens = 56.5%, Spec = 86.0%, -2LL = 72.48, p = 0.017) and left central to right lateral (Sens = 47.8%, Spec = 81.4%, -2LL = 71.37, p = 0.012) had the best classification accuracy and fit when adjusted for age and MMSE score.

Conclusion: Patients with MCI who convert to dementia have significant differences in EEG frequency, average connectivity and network topology prior to the onset of dementia. The MCI group is clinically heterogeneous and have underlying physiological differences that may be driving the progression of cognitive symptoms. EEG connectivity could be useful to predict which patients with MCI-AD and MCI-LB convert to dementia, regardless of the neurodegenerative aetiology.

Keywords: Lewy body disease; cognitive dysfunction; dementia; disease progression; electroencephalography; functional connectivity; prediction.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. G. Rizzo, S. Arcuti, M. Copetti, et al., “Accuracy of Clinical Diagnosis of Dementia With Lewy Bodies: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis,” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 89, no. 4 (2018): 358–366.
    1. G. Musa, A. Slachevsky, C. Muñoz‐Neira, et al., “Alzheimer's Disease or Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia? Review of Key Points Toward an Accurate Clinical and Neuropsychological Diagnosis,” Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 73, no. 3 (2020): 833–848.
    1. R. S. Turner, T. Stubbs, D. A. Davies, and B. C. Albensi, “Potential New Approaches for Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias,” Frontiers in Neurology 11 (2020): 496.
    1. J.‐P. Taylor, I. G. McKeith, D. J. Burn, et al., “New Evidence on the Management of Lewy Body Dementia,” Lancet Neurology 19, no. 2 (2020): 157–169.
    1. S. Chatzikonstantinou, J. McKenna, E. Karantali, et al., “Electroencephalogram in Dementia With Lewy Bodies: A Systematic Review,” Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 33, no. 5 (2021): 1197–1208.

Publication types