Aberrant baseline brain activity and disrupted functional connectivity in patients with vascular cognitive impairment due to cerebral small vessel disease

Objective This study aims to examine the alterations in aberrant brain activity and network connectivity between individuals with mild and major vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Materials and methods A total of 114 patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) were included in this study, comprising 61 individuals with mild VCI (mean age, 55. 7 ± 6. 9 years; male, 42. 6%) and 53 cases with major VCI (mean age, 57. 6 ± 5. 5 years; male, 58. 5%). Additionally, 53 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy subjects were recruited as normal controls (NC) (mean age, 54. 9 ± 7. 9 years; male, 52. 9%). All participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and magnetic resonance imaging scans. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) values among the three groups. Two-sample t-tests were conducted to assess functional connectivity matrices between different groups for each connection. Moreover, mediation analyses were performed to explore the mediating effect of aberrant brain activity on the relationship between cognitive impairment and CSVD total burden. Results VCI patients exhibited aberrant brain activity in regions such as the right thalamus (THAR), right cuneus (CUNR), left postcentral gyrus (PoCGL), right postcentral gyrus (PoCGR), right median cingulate, paracingulate gyri (PCGR), and left precuneus (PCUNL). Reduced positive functional connectivity was predominantly observed among nodes including PCUNL, CUNR, PoCGL, PoCGR, right posterior cingulate (PCGR), and left occipital gyrus (IOGL) in VCI patients. The aberrant baseline brain activity and disrupted brain network were more pronounced with worsening cognitive function. Increased fALFF values in THAR, CUNR, and PoCGL mediated cognitive impairment in CSVD patients. Conclusion Abnormal brain activities in THAR, CUNR, and PoCGL, along with their associated abnormal functional connections, play a significant role in VCI. The study revealed a progressive increase in aberrant brain activity and network connectivity with advancing stages of VCI.