Autonomic impairment in Alzheimer's disease is revealed by complexity analysis of functional thermal imaging signals during cognitive tasks
Autonomic impairment in Alzheimer's disease is revealed by complexity analysis of functional thermal imaging signals during cognitive tasks
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DOI：
10.1088/1361-6579/ab057d
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发表时间：
2019-03-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Merla, Arcangelo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Perpetuini, David;Cardone, Daniela;Merla, Arcangelo
目的：阿尔茨海默病（AD）的特点是进行性记忆障碍和视觉空间障碍。此外，AD 可能伴随着自主系统的改变，除了其他影响之外，还影响体温调节活动。我们在这里研究 AD 患者和健康对照 (HC) 之间自主活动的差异，对在休息时以及执行临床认知和记忆测试期间获取的功能红外成像 (fIRI) 数据进行复杂性分析。方法：fIRI 允许非接触式监测自主活动及其体温调节表达，而不干扰受试者的心理生理状态，从而保留与医生的自由互动。将基于样本熵的信号复杂性分析与自主相关信号的标准基于频率的分析进行比较。主要结果：AD 患者在测试期间表现出较低的 fIRI 信号复杂性，这可能表明相对于 HC 具有更强的交感神经活动。休息时未发现明显影响。采用基于频率的分析没有发现差异。意义：这项研究证实，AD 患者可能表现出与执行认知任务相关的特殊自主反应，这些反应可以通过 fIRI 进行测量。此外，这些反应可以通过信号可预测性的非线性度量来强调，例如建立 AD 患者自主神经损伤的样本熵。
Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive memory failures and visuospatial impairment. Moreover, AD can be accompanied by autonomic system alterations, which, among other impacts, affect thermoregulatory activity. We here investigate differences in autonomic activity between AD patients and healthy controls (HC), employing a complexity analysis of functional infrared imaging (fIRI) data acquired at rest and during the execution of clinical cognitive and mnemonic tests. Approach: fIRI allows for contactless monitoring of autonomic activity and its thermoregulatory expression without interfering with the psychophysiological state of the subject, preserving free interaction with the doctor. The signal complexity analysis, based on the sample entropy, was compared to a standard frequency-based analysis of autonomic-related signals. Main results: AD patients exhibited lower complexity of fIRI signals during the tests, which could be indicative of a stronger sympathetic activity with respect to HC. No significant effects were found at rest. No differences were found on employing frequency-based analysis. Significance: This study confirms that AD patients may exhibit peculiar autonomic responses associated with the execution of cognitive tasks that can be measured through fIRI. Moreover, these responses could be highlighted by a nonlinear metric of signal predictability such as the sample entropy establishing autonomic impairment of AD patients.