The relative brain signal variability increases in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease but not in schizophrenia

• Published in: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism 2024-12, Vol.44 (12), p.1535-1549
• Main Authors: Tuovinen, Timo, Häkli, Jani, Rytty, Riikka, Krüger, Johanna, Korhonen, Vesa, Järvelä, Matti, Helakari, Heta, Kananen, Janne, Nikkinen, Juha, Veijola, Juha, Remes, Anne M, Kiviniemi, Vesa, Rosen, Howard, Dickerson, Bradford C, Domoto-Reilly, Kimoko, Knopman, David, Boeve, Bradley F, Boxer, Adam L, Kornak, John, Miller, Bruce L, Seeley, William W, Tempini, Maria Luisa Gorno, McGinnis, Scott, Mandelli, Maria Luisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - diagnostic imaging; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiopathology; Female; Frontotemporal Dementia - diagnosis; Frontotemporal Dementia - diagnostic imaging; Frontotemporal Dementia - physiopathology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Schizophrenia - diagnostic imaging; Schizophrenia - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0271-678X; 1559-7016; 1559-7016
• DOI: 10.1177/0271678X241262583

Overlapping symptoms between Alzheimer’s disease (AD), behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), and schizophrenia (SZ) can lead to misdiagnosis and delays in appropriate treatment, especially in cases of early-onset dementia. To determine the potential of brain signal variability as a diagnostic tool, we assessed the coefficient of variation of the BOLD signal (CVBOLD) in 234 participants spanning bvFTD (n = 53), AD (n = 17), SZ (n = 23), and controls (n = 141). All underwent functional and structural MRI scans. Data unveiled a notable increase in CVBOLD in bvFTD patients across both datasets (local and international, p