title: A longitudinal EEG study of Alzheimer's disease progression based on a complex network approach.
abstract: A complex network approach is combined with time dynamics in order to conduct a space-time analysis applicable to longitudinal studies aimed to characterize the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in individual patients. The network analysis reveals how patient-specific patterns are associated with disease progression, also capturing the widespread effect of local disruptions. This longitudinal study is carried out on resting electroence phalography (EEGs) of seven AD patients. The test is repeated after a three months' period. The proposed methodology allows to extract some averaged information and regularities on the patients' cohort and to quantify concisely the disease evolution. From the functional viewpoint, the progression of AD is shown to be characterized by a loss of connected areas here measured in terms of network parameters (characteristic path length, clustering coefficient, global efficiency, degree of connectivity and connectivity density). The differences found between baseline and at follow-up are statistically significant. Finally, an original topographic multiscale approach is proposed that yields additional results.
authors: DICEAM, University Mediterranea, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
authors: Francesco Carlo
authors: FC
authors: Morabito
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Campolo
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Labate
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Morabito
authors: Lilla
authors: L
authors: Bonanno
authors: Alessia
authors: A
authors: Bramanti
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: de Salvo
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Marra
authors: Placido
authors: P
authors: Bramanti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; complex networks; complexity; longitudinal EEG database; multiscale temporal analysis; mutual information