Plastic modulation of episodic memory networks in the aging brain with cognitive decline.
Social-cognitive processing has been posited to underlie general functions such as episodic memory. Episodic memory impairment is a recognized hallmark of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who is at a high risk for dementia. Three canonical networks, self-referential processing, executive control processing and salience processing, have distinct roles in episodic memory retrieval processing. It remains unclear whether and how these sub-networks of the episodic memory retrieval system would be affected in aMCI. This task-state fMRI study constructed systems-level episodic memory retrieval sub-networks in 28 aMCI and 23 controls using two computational approaches: a multiple region-of-interest based approach and a voxel-level functional connectivity-based approach, respectively. These approaches produced the remarkably similar findings that the self-referential processing network made critical contributions to episodic memory retrieval in aMCI. More conspicuous alterations in self-referential processing of the episodic memory retrieval network were identified in aMCI. In order to complete a given episodic memory retrieval task, increases in cooperation between the self-referential processing network and other sub-networks were mobilized in aMCI. Self-referential processing mediate the cooperation of the episodic memory retrieval sub-networks as it may help to achieve neural plasticity and may contribute to the prevention and treatment of dementia.
Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: baifeng515@126.com.
Feng
F
Bai
Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Yonggui
Y
Yuan
Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Hui
H
Yu
Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: janemengzhang@vip.163.com.
Zhijun
Z
Zhang
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood
D010100:Oxygen
Episodic memory retrieval; Neural plasticity; Self-referential processing amnestic mild cognitive impairment; Social cognition