Modifications in resting state functional anticorrelation between default mode network and dorsal attention network: comparison among young adults, healthy elders and mild cognitive impairment patients

Abstract

Resting state brain activity incorporates different components, including the Default Mode Network and the Dorsal Attention Network, also known as task-negative network and task-positive network respectively. These two networks typically show an anticorrelated activity during both spontaneous oscillations and task execution. However modifications of this anticorrelated activity pattern with age and pathology are still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate differences in resting state Default Mode Network-Dorsal Attention Network functional anticorrelation among young adults, healthy elders and Mild Cognitive Impairment patients. We retrospectively enrolled in this study 27 healthy young adults (age range: 25-35 y.o.; mean age: 28,5), 26 healthy elders (age range: 61-72 y.o.; mean age: 65,1) and 17 MCI patients (age range 64-87 y.o.; mean age: 73,6). Mild Cognitive Impairment patients were selected following Petersen criteria. All participants underwent neuropsychological evaluation and resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Spontaneous anticorrelated activity between Default Mode Network and Dorsal Attention Network was observed in each group. This anticorrelation was significantly decreased with age in most Default Mode Network-Dorsal Attention Network connections (p < 0.001, False Discovery Rate corrected). Moreover, the anticorrelation between the posterior cingulate cortex node of the Default Mode Network and the right inferior parietal sulcus node of the Dorsal Attention Network was significantly decreased when comparing Mild Cognitive Impairment with normal elders (p < 0.001, False Discovery Rate corrected). The functional connectivity changes in patients were not related to significant differences in grey matter content. Our results suggest that a reduced anticorrelated activity between Default Mode Network and Dorsal Attention Network is part of the normal aging process and that Mild Cognitive Impairment status is associated with more evident inter-networks functional connectivity changes.

Estimated regional white matter hyperintensity burden, resting state functional connectivity, and cognitive functions in older adults

“…That is, better cognitive inhibition was associated with lower functional connectivity between (1) the caudate and posterior cingulate/supramarginal/postcentral region (sensorimotor/DMN), (2) the pallidum and a node in the superior frontal region within the DMN (Power et al, 2011), and (3) the inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis (frontoparietal node) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (DMN). This finding is consistent with the function of the DMN as a "task negative" network and that greater anti-correlation between the cognitive control network (which subsumes the frontoparietal task control network) and DMN is beneficial for cognitive performance (Chen et al, 2013) and healthy cognitive aging (Esposito et al, 2018).…”

Dynamic functional connectivity changes in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease

“…Another important characteristic of state 1 that differentiates it from state 2 is the existence of strong anti-correlations in the former. Anti-correlations between default mode and task-positive networks have been shown to be important for attentional function (Fox et al, 2005) and a loss of anti-correlations has been associated with aging, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive impairment in PD (Baggio et al, 2015;Esposito et al, 2017). Our results further suggest that an absence of strong anti-correlations might also be a feature of more established neurodegenerative disease in the case of AD and DLB.…”

Resting-state network topology and planning ability in healthy adults

“…It is generally accepted that activity within the DMN is high when a subject is not engaged in any specific task and its activity is suppressed when external stimuli demand cognitive engagement . Heightened DMN activity and higher FC between the DMN and other RSNs are also commonly associated with reduced cognitive performance in brain disorder-related deficits (Putcha et al 2016;Esposito et al 2018;Anticevic et al 2012). Our associations between slower ToL performance and increased within DMN FC and increased connectivity between the DMN and the other RSNs is therefore in line with these findings and adds to the growing body of literature that shows that inter-individual differences in FC of the DMN is associated with cognitive performance, even in normally functioning healthy subjects.…”