Effective connectivity in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Effective connectivity (EC) methods signify the direction of brain interactions. The identified inter-system mappings can be helpful in characterizing the pathophysiology of the disease.

Methods and Results

We conducted a systematic review of the alterations in EC findings in individuals with AD or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from fMRI studies. We extracted EC alterations and altered network findings related to specific cognitive impairments. Additionally, we brought a narrative synthesis on the clinical-pathologic relevance of the utilized computational methods. Thirty-nine studies retrieved from the full-text screening. A general pattern of disconnection in several hub centers and changes in inter-network interactions was identified.

Conclusion

In summary, this study demonstrated the beneficial role of EC analyses and network measures in understanding the pathophysiology of AD. Future studies are needed to bring out methodologically consistent data for more structured meta-analytic views.