Cerebrovascular Reactivity Modulates Spontaneous Brain Activity Abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study

Motivation: In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the effect of vascular factors on the BOLD signal needs further study. Goal(s): To investigate the alterations of the dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) following the adjustment of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) factors in AD patients. Approach: A two-sample T-test with and without CVR as a covariate was conducted to assess the CVR's impact on dALFF in 63 AD patients and 44 normal controls. Results: Without CVR correction, there was no difference in brain regions in dALFF. After correction, dALFF of the left medial frontal gyrus (MFG) decreased in the AD group and was positively correlated with cognition function. Impact: DALFF with CVR correction demonstrated enhanced sensitivity in detecting abnormal brain activity in AD patients and showed a significant correlation with cognition function, providing a new perspective for understanding the neurophysiological disruptions of AD.