Abstract
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Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that neurocognitive resting state networks (RSNs) with high energy consumption might be less resistant to pathological, in particular neurodegenerative processes. Here, we tested for hierarchy of neurocognitive networks in respect to glucose metabolism.
Methods: Sixty middle aged healthy subjects underwent a simultaneous FDG-PET and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at rest. RSNs were extracted from fMRI data using a group independent component analysis. Relative FDG uptake within each network was calculated. This measure was used to rank neurocognitive RSNs within each subject. Results: Among a number of RSNs the following neurocognitive networks could be extracted (Figure 1, from top to bottom): left and right central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN), posterior and anterior default mode network (pDMN, aDMN). At the group level FDG uptake decreased in the order pDMN > CENs ≍ SN > aDMN (p’s<0.01, Figure 2). At the individual level, the highest rank of pDMN, and the lowest of aDMN was reproducible in 60 (100%) and 52 (86%) of subjects, respectively.
Conclusions: There is a consistent hierarchy of neurocognitive networks according to glucose metabolism. Our results strongly support the hypothesis that DMN, those dysfunction has been implemented in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, is energetically active neurocognitive network. As a novel finding, pDMN appears to be metabolically most active neurocognitive network, while aDMN is least active. These results suggest the existence of two rather independent DMNs and contribute to understanding of mechanisms of brain disorders at the network level.
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