A graph theoretic approach to neurodegeneration: five data-driven neuropsychological subtypes in mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn 2023;30(6):903-922
Date
01/18/2023Pubmed ID
36648118DOI
10.1080/13825585.2022.2163973Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85146479741 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 2 CitationsAbstract
Mild cognitive Impairment (MCI) is notoriously heterogenous in terms of clinical presentation, neuroimaging correlates, and subsequent progression. Predicting who will progress to dementia, which type of dementia, and over what timeframe is challenging. Previous work has attempted to identify MCI subtypes using neuropsychological measures in an effort to address this challenge; however, there is no consensus on approach, which may account for some of the variability. Using a hierarchical community detection approach, we examined cognitive subtypes within an MCI sample (from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative [ADNI] study). We then examined whether these subtypes were related to biomarkers (e.g., cortical volumes, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) hypometabolism) or clinical progression. We identified five communities (i.e., cognitive subtypes) within the MCI sample: 1) predominantly memory impairment, 2) predominantly language impairment, 3) cognitively normal, 4) multidomain, with notable executive dysfunction, 5) multidomain, with notable processing speed impairment. Community membership was significantly associated with 1) cortical volume in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and fusiform cortex; 2) FDG PET hypometabolism in the posterior cingulate, angular gyrus, and inferior/middle temporal gyrus; and 3) conversion to dementia at follow up. Overall, community detection as an approach appears a viable method for identifying unique cognitive subtypes in a neurodegenerative sample that were linked to several meaningful biomarkers and modestly with progression at one year follow up.
Author List
Pommy J, Conant L, Butts AM, Nencka A, Wang Y, Franczak M, Glass-Umfleet LAuthors
Alissa Butts PhD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of WisconsinAndrew S. Nencka PhD Director, Associate Professor in the Radiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Laura Umfleet PsyD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Alzheimer DiseaseBiomarkers
Brain
Cognitive Dysfunction
Disease Progression
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Humans
