title: Altered characteristic of brain networks in mild cognitive impairment during a selective attention task: An EEG study.
abstract: The present study evaluated the topological properties of whole brain networks using graph theoretical concepts and investigated the time-evolution characteristic of brain network in mild cognitive impairment patients during a selective attention task. Electroencephalography (EEG) activities were recorded in 10 MCI patients and 17 healthy subjects when they performed a color match task. We calculated the phase synchrony index between each possible pairs of EEG channels in alpha and beta frequency bands and analyzed the local interconnectedness, overall connectedness and small-world characteristic of brain network in different degree for two groups. Relative to healthy normal controls, the properties of cortical networks in MCI patients tend to be a shift of randomization. Lower σ of MCI had suggested that patients had a further loss of small-world attribute both during active and resting states. Our results provide evidence for the functional disconnection of brain regions in MCI. Furthermore, we found the properties of cortical networks could reflect the processing of conflict information in the selective attention task. The human brain tends to be a more regular and efficient neural architecture in the late stage of information processing. In addition, the processing of conflict information needs stronger information integration and transfer between cortical areas.
authors.affiliation: School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: School of Communication and Information Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, PR China. Electronic address: liyj@shu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yingjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Complex network analysis; EEG; Mild cognitive impairment; Phase synchronization; Small-world network; Time-evolution