基于近红外脑成像的认知评估脑连接特征研究

There are sex differences in cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) , and whether this sex difference is present in the pre-AD or even earlier stages is unknown. In this study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology was used to compare the sex differences in whole brain activity in the verbal fluency test (VFT) between the healthy group and the MCI group, aiming to find fNIRS functional connectivity features significantly related to gender and behavior, followed by finding cognitive assessment indicators based on functional connectivity, laying a foundation for carrying out sex-specific AD early screening. The study found significant differences between healthy subjects and MCI subjects in the main effects of sex, and the differential functional connections were located in the long-range functional connectivity between the middle and back parts of the brain and the hemispheres. Compared with the healthy group, the connectivity difference pattern between males and females in the MCI group changed, and the difference of functional connectivity z-values decreased. Among them, in the VFT task, functional connectivity z-values of the parietal lobe (MCI males; P = 0. 03; MCI females; P = 0. 02), especially the parietal-left inferior parietal (MCI females; MMSE, P = 0. 01; correct word number, P = 0. 05 ) were significantly correlated with gender and behavioral performance, which may be potential features for early evaluation of females with AD and deserve more attention in the future.