INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #66 Differences in BOLD Activation Between MCI Phenotypes During an N-back Working Memory Task Melissa Lancaster, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Kelly Ristow, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Laura Glass Umfleet, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Alexander Cohen, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Malgorzata Franczak, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Yang Wang, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States Category: MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) Keyword 1: mild cognitive impairment Keyword 2: neuroimaging: functional Objective: While mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been extensively studied as a risk factor for dementia, a large percentage of this work has been devoted to the relationship between amnestic MCI (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. More intensive study of MCI phenotypes ultimately may provide more information about neurodegenerative disease risk across multiple pathologies, informing more tailored treatment approaches. We investigated BOLD activation differences in aMCI and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) participants compared to healthy controls on n-back task, as working memory (WM) is a complex cognitive function that may be impacted by many different disease processes. Participants and Methods: 29 healthy older adults and 22 patients diagnosed with MCI by clinician rating completed an advanced 3T MRI neuroimaging protocol. MCI participants had previously completed neuropsychological testing. Of the MCI participants, 11 were diagnosed with aMCI, and 11 were diagnosed with naMCI. MCI participants were overall older (mean_age = 72.7 years; SD = 5.7) than controls (mean_age = 67.8; SD = 8.3) and the MCI group included more females. naMCI participants (mean_years = 17.6 years; SD = 1.7) were more educated than aMCI participants (mean_years = 15.1; SD = 2.1). Participants were administered an n-back task in the scanner that manipulated two factors, including WM load (2-back, 1-back, 0-back) and stimulus type (faces, body parts, places, and tools). 2-sample t-tests controlling for gender, age, education, task accuracy, and cortical density were conducted on BOLD activation maps for the 1-back and 2-back conditions after cluster-size thresholds were set (p = .05). Significant between-group comparisons surviving a threshold of p = .01 are reported. Performance on a traditional neuropsychological measure of WM (i.e. a digit span task) was also compared between MCI groups, controlling for education. Results: The MCI groups did not differ on traditional neuropsychological WM testing. aMCI participants showed increased activation compared to naMCI participants in the posterior cingulate on the 1-back condition, while on the 2-back condition, increased activation in aMCI was seen in the superior frontal gyri and posterior cingulate/precuneus, with trends in the right hippocampus and cerebellum. Control participants showed increased activation compared to the naMCI group in the right posterior cingulate on the 1-back condition and the right cerebellum on the 2-back condition. Control participants showed increased left posterior fronto-parietal activation compared to the aMCI group on the 2-back condition, with no significant differences in the 1-back condition. Conclusions: Findings indicate that patterns of BOLD activation during a WM task differed as a function of MCI phenotype. Controls and aMCI participants showed similar patterns of increased activation compared to the naMCI group in the posterior cingulate and cerebellum, indicating possible inefficiency in these regions in the naMCI group. Interestingly, more differences were observed between the aMCI and the naMCI group on this task than differences between MCI phenotypes and controls, especially when there was greater WM load (i.e. the 2-back condition), indicating that WM activation may be helpful in sub-typing these MCI groups and highlighting subtle differences not seen on traditional neuropsychological testing, possibly improving our ability to predict longitudinal outcomes in these groups.

Poster

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #66

Differences in BOLD Activation Between MCI Phenotypes During an N-back Working Memory Task

Melissa Lancaster, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
Kelly Ristow, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
Laura Glass Umfleet, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
Alexander Cohen, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
Malgorzata Franczak, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States
Yang Wang, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, United States

Category: MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment)

Keyword 1: mild cognitive impairment
Keyword 2: neuroimaging: functional

Objective:

While mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been extensively studied as a risk factor for dementia, a large percentage of this work has been devoted to the relationship between amnestic MCI (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. More intensive study of MCI phenotypes ultimately may provide more information about neurodegenerative disease risk across multiple pathologies, informing more tailored treatment approaches. We investigated BOLD activation differences in aMCI and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) participants compared to healthy controls on n-back task, as working memory (WM) is a complex cognitive function that may be impacted by many different disease processes.

Participants and Methods:

29 healthy older adults and 22 patients diagnosed with MCI by clinician rating completed an advanced 3T MRI neuroimaging protocol. MCI participants had previously completed neuropsychological testing. Of the MCI participants, 11 were diagnosed with aMCI, and 11 were diagnosed with naMCI. MCI participants were overall older (mean_age = 72.7 years; SD = 5.7) than controls (mean_age = 67.8; SD = 8.3) and the MCI group included more females. naMCI participants (mean_years = 17.6 years; SD = 1.7) were more educated than aMCI participants (mean_years = 15.1; SD = 2.1). Participants were administered an n-back task in the scanner that manipulated two factors, including WM load (2-back, 1-back, 0-back) and stimulus type (faces, body parts, places, and tools). 2-sample t-tests controlling for gender, age, education, task accuracy, and cortical density were conducted on BOLD activation maps for the 1-back and 2-back conditions after cluster-size thresholds were set (p = .05). Significant between-group comparisons surviving a threshold of p = .01 are reported. Performance on a traditional neuropsychological measure of WM (i.e. a digit span task) was also compared between MCI groups, controlling for education.

Results:

The MCI groups did not differ on traditional neuropsychological WM testing. aMCI participants showed increased activation compared to naMCI participants in the posterior cingulate on the 1-back condition, while on the 2-back condition, increased activation in aMCI was seen in the superior frontal gyri and posterior cingulate/precuneus, with trends in the right hippocampus and cerebellum. Control participants showed increased activation compared to the naMCI group in the right posterior cingulate on the 1-back condition and the right cerebellum on the 2-back condition. Control participants showed increased left posterior fronto-parietal activation compared to the aMCI group on the 2-back condition, with no significant differences in the 1-back condition.

Conclusions:

Findings indicate that patterns of BOLD activation during a WM task differed as a function of MCI phenotype. Controls and aMCI participants showed similar patterns of increased activation compared to the naMCI group in the posterior cingulate and cerebellum, indicating possible inefficiency in these regions in the naMCI group. Interestingly, more differences were observed between the aMCI and the naMCI group on this task than differences between MCI phenotypes and controls, especially when there was greater WM load (i.e. the 2-back condition), indicating that WM activation may be helpful in sub-typing these MCI groups and highlighting subtle differences not seen on traditional neuropsychological testing, possibly improving our ability to predict longitudinal outcomes in these groups.