Summary of key findings on resting-state FC in healthy cognitive aging and dementia
| Network/Measure | Healthy cognitive aging | Dementia | Differential diagnosis potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMN | Reduced within-network connectivity with age, particularly in the anterior and posterior regions. | More pronounced disruption in connectivity, especially in hubs like the posterior cingulate cortex, which may be indicative of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. | High: Significant disruption in DMN can help distinguish between normal aging and dementia. |
| FPCN | Decline in connectivity, linked with reduced cognitive control and flexibility. | Greater decline, impacting cognitive flexibility and executive function more severely than in healthy aging. | Moderate to high: Changes in FPCN connectivity can signal cognitive decline progression. |
| CON | Some age-related changes, but generally maintains connectivity; strong relationship with fluid cognition. | Severely disrupted in dementia, affecting global cognitive functions. | High: Strong potential as a biomarker for cognitive performance in aging populations. |
| Hippocampal connectivity | Age and cognitive effort change the connection between intra-HC and inter-HC RSFC; predictive of future memory decline. | Disruptions in hippocampal connectivity are more severe and widespread, particularly affecting memory-related networks. | High: Alterations in HC connectivity post-cognitive effort can predict future cognitive decline. |
| CAPs | Reduced interactions between the frontoparietal network and DMN with age; increased dominance of DPN and attentional networks as compensation. | Lower cognitive flexibility; reduced dominance of higher-order cognitive networks, while primary sensory functions remain more intact. | Moderate: CAP changes may indicate reduced cognitive flexibility in aging, and compensatory mechanisms. |
| General resting-state network connectivity | Decline in connectivity across multiple networks; networks less segregated, more integrated; reduced modularity and efficiency. | More pronounced decline in higher-order networks, particularly those involving cognitive control and memory; greater impact on rich club network hubs, leading to inefficient communication between brain regions. | High: Overall network efficiency decline can indicate early stages of cognitive decline and dementia. |
| Metabolic brain networks (glucose metabolism) | Changes in metabolic connectivity with age; small world properties maintained but with decreased efficiency. | Greater disruption in metabolic networks, correlated with more severe cognitive decline; glucose metabolism closely linked with connectivity changes, particularly in hubs with high between-network connectivity. | Moderate: Metabolic connectivity changes offer additional insights but require further research. |
CAPs: coactivation patterns; CON: cingulo-opercular network; DMN: default mode network; FPCN: frontoparietal control network; RSFC: resting-state functional connectivity
