Rich-Club Connectivity of the Structural Covariance Network Relates to Memory Processes in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease
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Background: Though mediotemporal lobe volume changes are well-known features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), grey matter volume changes may be distributed throughout the brain. These distributed changes are not independent due to the underlying network structure and can be described in terms of a structural covariance network (SCN). Objective: To investigate how the cortical brain organization is altered in AD we studied the mutual connectivity of hubs in the SCN, i.e., the rich-club. Methods: To construct the SCNs, cortical thickness was obtained from structural MRI for 97 participants (normal cognition, n = 37; mild cognitive impairment, n = 41; Alzheimer-type dementia, n = 19). Subsequently, rich-club coefficients were calculated from the SCN, and related to memory performance and hippocampal volume using linear regression. Results: Lower rich-club connectivity was related to lower memory performance as well as lower hippocampal volume. Conclusion: Therefore, this study provides novel evidence of reduced connectivity in hub areas in relation to AD-related cognitive impairments and atrophy.
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Large-world connectivity of distal networks including projections of the cingulate with frontal and temporal cortex predominates in AD, accompanied by degraded rich hubs.
“Indeed, “large world” connectivity of distal networks including projections of the cingulate with frontal and temporal cortex [42] predominates in AD, accompanied by degraded “rich hubs,” localized networks of high connectivity [43].”
From Effects of APOE2 and APOE4 on brain microstructure in older adults: modification by age, sex, and cognitive status (2024) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Drenthen, G. S., Backes, W. H., Freeze, W. M., Jacobs, H. I. L., Verheggen, I. C. M., van Boxtel, M. P. J., Hoff, E. I., Verhey, F. R., & Jansen, J. F. A.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL)
- Leiden University Medical Center (NL)
- Harvard University (US)
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Zuyderland Medisch Centrum (NL)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Drenthen, Gerhard S.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2022-07-18
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 209-217
- ISSN
- 1387-2877 (ISSN-L)
- 1875-8908
- PMC
- PMC9484119
- OpenAlex
- W4285801593
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 1.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Alzheimer s Disease (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- TU/e Research Portal (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (406-15-031)
- Alzheimer Nederland
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG062559)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Keywords
- structural covariance networks
- MeSH terms
- Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Memory, Cognitive Dysfunction
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