Magnetoencephalographic parietal delta dipole density in mild cognitive impairment: preliminary results of a method to estimate the risk of developing Alzheimer disease.
BACKGROUND
Subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at a higher risk of experiencing Alzheimer disease (AD). Magnetoencephalographic temporoparietal dipole densities of low-frequency activity are good predictors of individuals' cognitive status, and might be a useful tool to investigate the conversion from MCI to AD.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of low-frequency dipole densities as predictors of the risk of developing AD.


METHODS
Whole-head magnetoencephalographic recordings were obtained from 19 probable AD patients, 17 MCI patients, and 17 healthy control subjects. The generators of focal magnetic slow waves were located using a single moving dipole model.


RESULTS
Left parietal delta dipole density permitted a reliable classification of AD and MCI patients. The MCI patients were divided into 2 groups based on the median left parietal delta dipole density, and were followed up for 2 years. The estimated relative risk of conversion to AD was increased by 350% in those MCI patients with high left parietal delta dipole density scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Results confirmed the important role of parietal delta dipole density in the evaluation of AD and MCI. A magnetoencephalographic-based assessment of AD and MCI patients might be considered a useful clinical test in the near future.
Centro MEG Dr Pérez Modrego and Departamento de Bioestadística e Investigación Operativa, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Alberto
A
Fernández
Agustín
A
Turrero
Pilar
P
Zuluaga
Pedro
P
Gil
Fernando
F
Maestú
Pablo
P
Campo
Tomás
T
Ortiz
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012306:Risk