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García-Colomo A, Nebreda A, Carrasco-Gómez M, de Frutos-Lucas J, Ramirez-Toraño F, Spuch C, Comis-Tuche M, Bruña R, Alfonsín S, Maestú F. Longitudinal changes in the functional connectivity of individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease. GeroScience 2024; 46:2989-3003. [PMID: 38172488 PMCID: PMC11009204 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-01036-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
First-degree relatives of Alzheimer's disease patients constitute a key population in the search for early markers. Our group identified functional connectivity differences between cognitively unimpaired individuals with and without a family history. In this unprecedented follow-up study, we examine whether family history is associated with a longitudinal increase in the functional connectivity of those regions. Moreover, this is the first work to correlate electrophysiological measures with plasma p-tau231 levels, a known pathology marker, to interpret the nature of the change. We evaluated 69 cognitively unimpaired individuals with a family history of Alzheimer's disease and 28 without, at two different time points, approximately 3 years apart, including resting state magnetoencephalography recordings and plasma p-tau231 determinations. Functional connectivity changes in both precunei and left anterior cingulate cortex in the high-alpha band were studied using non-parametric cluster-based permutation tests. Connectivity values were correlated with p-tau231 levels. Three clusters emerged in individuals with family history, exhibiting a longitudinal increase of connectivity. Notably, the clusters for both precunei bore a striking resemblance to those found in previous cross-sectional studies. The connectivity values at follow-up and the change in connectivity in the left precuneus cluster showed significant positive correlations with p-tau231. This study consolidates the use of electrophysiology, in combination with plasma biomarkers, to monitor healthy individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease and emphasizes the value of combining noninvasive markers to understand the underlying mechanisms and track disease progression. This could facilitate the design of more effective intervention strategies and accurate progression assessment tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra García-Colomo
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alberto Nebreda
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Martín Carrasco-Gómez
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jaisalmer de Frutos-Lucas
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Federico Ramirez-Toraño
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Spuch
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS-Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, CIBERSAM, Vigo, Spain
| | - María Comis-Tuche
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS-Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, CIBERSAM, Vigo, Spain
| | - Ricardo Bruña
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlo.s (IdISSC), 28240, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Radiology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28240, Madrid, Spain
| | - Soraya Alfonsín
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Speech & Language Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlo.s (IdISSC), 28240, Madrid, Spain
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