title: Cognitive reserve moderates the association between functional network anti-correlations and memory in MCI.
abstract: Cognitive reserve (CR) shows protective effects on cognitive function in older adults. Here, we focused on the effects of CR at the functional network level. We assessed in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) whether higher CR moderates the association between low internetwork cross-talk on memory performance. In 2 independent aMCI samples (n = 76 and 93) and healthy controls (HC, n = 36), CR was assessed via years of education and intelligence (IQ). We focused on the anti-correlation between the dorsal attention network (DAN) and an anterior and posterior default mode network (DMN), assessed via sliding time window analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The DMN-DAN anti-correlation was numerically but not significantly lower in aMCI compared to HC. However, in aMCI, lower anterior DMN-DAN anti-correlation was associated with lower memory performance. This association was moderated by CR proxies, where the association between the internetwork anti-correlation and memory performance was alleviated at higher levels of education or IQ. In conclusion, lower DAN-DMN cross-talk is associated with lower memory in aMCI, where such effects are buffered by higher CR.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University LMU, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Franzmeier
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University LMU, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buerger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE, Rostock), Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teipel
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Yaakov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University LMU, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE, Munich), Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dichgans
authors.affiliation: Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-University LMU, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: michael.ewers@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ewers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology*; D058245:Cognitive Reserve / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cognitive reserve; Memory; Mild cognitive impairment; Resting-state fMRI; Sliding time window functional connectivity