Neuro-X Institute and Brain Mind Institute (BMI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.
Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Geneva University Neurocenter, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Commun Biol. 2024 Sep 18;7(1):1169. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06829-8.
Functional connectivity patterns in the human brain, like the friction ridges of a fingerprint, can uniquely identify individuals. Does this "brain fingerprint" remain distinct even during Alzheimer's disease (AD)? Using fMRI data from healthy and pathologically ageing subjects, we find that individual functional connectivity profiles remain unique and highly heterogeneous during mild cognitive impairment and AD. However, the patterns that make individuals identifiable change with disease progression, revealing a reconfiguration of the brain fingerprint. Notably, connectivity shifts towards functional system connections in AD and lower-order cognitive functions in early disease stages. These findings emphasize the importance of focusing on individual variability rather than group differences in AD studies. Individual functional connectomes could be instrumental in creating personalized models of AD progression, predicting disease course, and optimizing treatments, paving the way for personalized medicine in AD management.
人类大脑的功能连接模式就像指纹的摩擦脊线，可以独一无二地识别个体。那么，即使在阿尔茨海默病（AD）中，这种“大脑指纹”是否仍然明显呢？通过对健康和病理性衰老受试者的 fMRI 数据进行分析，我们发现个体的功能连接图谱在轻度认知障碍和 AD 期间仍然保持独特且高度异质。然而，使得个体可识别的模式会随着疾病的进展而改变，揭示了大脑指纹的重新配置。值得注意的是，AD 患者的连接模式向功能系统连接转移，而在疾病早期阶段则向较低阶认知功能转移。这些发现强调了在 AD 研究中关注个体变异性而不是群体差异的重要性。个体功能连接组图谱可能对于创建 AD 进展的个性化模型、预测疾病进程和优化治疗至关重要，为 AD 管理中的个性化医学铺平了道路。
