Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Default mode network connectivity in stable vs progressive mild cognitive impairment
Petrella JR, Sheldon FC, Prince SE, Calhoun VD, Doraiswamy PM.. Neurology, 2011-01-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Dysfunction of the default mode network (DMN) has been identified in prior cross-sectional fMRI studies of Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI); however, no studies have examined its utility in predicting future cognitive decline. Methods fMRI scans during a face-name memory task were acquired from a cohort of 68 subjects (25 normal control, 31 MCI, and 12 AD). Subjects with MCI were followed for 2.4 years (±0.8) to determine progression to AD. Maps of DMN connectivity were compared with a template DMN map constructed from elderly normal controls to obtain goodness-of-fit (GOF) indices of DMN expression. Indices were compared between groups and correlated with cognitive decline. Results GOF indices were highest in normal controls, intermediate in MCI, and lowest in AD (p Conclusions fMRI connectivity indices distinguish patients with MCI who undergo cognitive decline and conversion to AD from those who remain stable over a 2- to 3-year follow-up period. Our data support the notion of different functional brain connectivity endophenotypes for "early" vs "late" MCI, which are associated with different baseline memory scores and different rates of progression and conversion.
Key findings
- Maps of DMN connectivity were compared with a template DMN map constructed from elderly normal controls to obtain goodness-of-fit (GOF) indices of DMN expression.
- Results GOF indices were highest in normal controls, intermediate in MCI, and lowest in AD (p Conclusions fMRI connectivity indices distinguish patients with MCI who undergo cognitive decline and conversion to AD from those who remain stable over a 2- to 3-year follow-up period.
- Our data support the notion of different functional brain connectivity endophenotypes for "early" vs "late" MCI, which are associated with different baseline memory scores and different rates of progression and conversion.
Why it matters
In 68 participants, a measure of default mode network connectivity was lower in Alzheimer disease than in mild cognitive impairment and lowest overall, and it distinguished those with mild cognitive impairment who declined over two to three years from those who stayed stable. This is an observational imaging study and does not show that any treatment can change this connectivity or prevent decline.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants68
- Effect sizeor 2.4
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 65/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2011 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 68 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 296 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 17.4 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 20.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 11 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Pudugramam Murali Doraiswamy: h-index 105 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Duke University: institution h-index 1,541 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21228297) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 65 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Petrella, JR., Sheldon, F. C., Prince, S. E., Calhoun, V. D., & Doraiswamy, P. M. (2011). Default mode network connectivity in stable vs progressive mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820af94e
Vancouver
Petrella JR, Sheldon FC, Prince SE, Calhoun VD, Doraiswamy PM. Default mode network connectivity in stable vs progressive mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2011. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820af94e. PMID: 21228297.
BibTeX
@article{petrella2011-21228297,
author = {Petrella, JR. and Sheldon, F. C. and Prince, S. E. and Calhoun, V. D. and Doraiswamy, P. M.},
title = {{Default mode network connectivity in stable vs progressive mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820af94e},
pmid = {21228297},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820af94e}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
11 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.