Di Cecca, Angelica (2025) Advanced multimodal Neuroimaging for early detection of dementia: simultaneous EEG-fMRI. [Tesi di dottorato]

Documento PDF PhD_thesis_XXXVIIICicle_DiCecca.pdf Visibile a [TBR] Amministratori dell'archivio Download (2MB) | Richiedi una copia

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents the most prevalent cause of dementia worldwide, posing an increasing social and economic burden. The clinical diagnosis of AD has progressively evolved toward a biological framework that integrates biomarkers reflecting amyloid deposition, tau pathology, and neurodegeneration. Among these, neuroimaging has emerged as a crucial tool for both research and clinical practice. In particular, the combination of non-invasive techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) holds promise for characterizing the functional alterations underlying cognitive decline. This doctoral work explores the contribution of simultaneous EEG-fMRI to the study of functional network dynamics in the preclinical and prodromal stages of dementia. After providing an overview of the current biomarker landscape and the technical aspects of EEG-fMRI integration, a dedicated empirical study investigates the relationship between EEG theta activity, a recognized electrophysiological marker of early AD, and resting-state functional networks, including the posterior Default Mode Network (pDMN) and the Central Executive Network (CEN). Results reveal a significant association between mid-frontal theta power and altered connectivity patterns within these networks, suggesting that concurrent EEG-fMRI can capture multimodal functional signatures of early neurodegenerative changes. Finally, the thesis discusses future perspectives for multimodal imaging approaches, highlighting the potential of combining EEG-fMRI with modalities such as PET and TMS to improve both pathophysiological understanding and early detection of the AD continuum.

Downloads

Actions (login required)

Modifica documento