Complexity Analysis of the Default Mode Network Using Resting-State fMRI in Down Syndrome: Relationships Highlighted by a Neuropsychological Assessment

Background: Studies on complexity indicators in the field of functional connectivity derived from resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) in Down syndrome (DS) samples and their possible relationship with cognitive functioning variables are rare. We analyze how some complexity indicators estimated in the subareas that constitute the default mode network (DMN) might be predictors of the neuropsychological outcomes evaluating Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and cognitive performance in persons with DS. Methods: Twenty-two DS people were assessed with the Kaufman Brief Test of Intelligence (KBIT) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) tests, and fMRI signals were recorded in a resting state over a six-minute period. In addition, 22 controls, matched by age and sex, were evaluated with the same rs-fMRI procedure. Results: There was a significant difference in complexity indicators between groups: the control group showed less complexity than the DS group. Moreover, the DS group showed more variance in the complexity indicator distributions than the control group. In the DS group, significant and negative relationships were found between some of the complexity indicators in some of the DMN networks and the cognitive performance scores. Conclusions: The DS group is characterized by more complex DMN networks and exhibits an inverse relationship between complexity and cognitive performance based on the negative parameter estimates.

Automated summary

In individuals with Down syndrome (DS), certain complexity indicators in specific subareas of the default mode network (DMN) were found to be associated with cognitive performance. The DS group exhibited more complex DMN networks and a negative relationship between complexity and cognitive performance.