title: Small-World Properties in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Alzheimer's Disease: A Cortical Thickness MRI Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small-world network consists of networks with local specialization and global integration. Our objective is to detect small-world properties alteration based on cortical thickness in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) including stables and converters, and early Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI scans of 13 controls, 10 MCI, and 10 with early AD were retrospectively analyzed; 11 MCI converters, 11 MCI stables, and 10 controls from the ADNI website were also included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significantly decreased local efficiencies in patients with MCI and AD compared to controls; and MCI patients showed increased global efficiency compared to AD and controls. The MCI converters experience the worst local efficiency during the converting period to AD; the stables, however, have highest local and global efficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The abnormal cortical thickness-based small-world properties in MCI and AD as well as the distinct patterns between two MCI subtypes suggest that small-world network analysis has the potential to better differentiate different stages of early dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, 4th Floor, 660 First Avenue, New York City, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Yongxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Center for Biomedical Imaging, New York University School of Medicine, 4th Floor, 660 First Avenue, New York City, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Yvonne W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lui