Sex differences in EEG metrics and resilience to cognitive decline in prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease

The motivation behind this work lies in addressing a critical gap in understanding the factors and mechanisms underpinning maintained cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease. The idea is to revolve the analysis around a framework comprising the primary components: quantitative electroencephalographic biomarkers of aging and AD pathology, cognitive measurements (Mini-Mental State Examination - MMSE) and risk/protective factors. 157 patients were evaluated: 19 Healthy Subjects (HS), 118 Subjective Cognitive Decline patients (SCD) and 39 Mild Cognitive Impairment patients (MCI). Both spectral and connectivity qEEG biomarkers have been extracted in four frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha and beta; age, years of education and Short Intelligence Test (TIB) were considered as main risk/protective factors. Importantly, recognizing the potential influence of sex on the prevalence, trajectory, and interplay of these components adds a nuanced layer to this approach.