Characteristics of Resting State EEG Power in 80+-Year-Olds of Different Cognitive Status

Stephanie Fröhlich; Dieter F Kutz; Katrin Müller; Claudia Voelcker-Rehage

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2021.675689

Characteristics of Resting State EEG Power in 80+-Year-Olds of Different Cognitive Status

Front Aging Neurosci. 2021 Aug 11:13:675689. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.675689. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Stephanie Fröhlich^{1

2}, Dieter F Kutz^{1

3}, Katrin Müller^{2

4}, Claudia Voelcker-Rehage^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuromotor Behavior and Exercise, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
² Department of Sports Psychology (With Focus on Prevention and Rehabilitation), Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
³ Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
⁴ Department of Social Science of Physical Activity and Health, Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.

Abstract

Compared with healthy older adults, patients with Alzheimer's disease show decreased alpha and beta power as well as increased delta and theta power during resting state electroencephalography (rsEEG). Findings for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage of increased risk of conversion to dementia, are less conclusive. Cognitive status of 213 non-demented high-agers (mean age, 82.5 years) was classified according to a neuropsychological screening and a cognitive test battery. RsEEG was measured with eyes closed and open, and absolute power in delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands were calculated for nine regions. Results indicate no rsEEG power differences between healthy individuals and those with MCI. There were also no differences present between groups in EEG reactivity, the change in power from eyes closed to eyes open, or the topographical pattern of each frequency band. Overall, EEG reactivity was preserved in 80+-year-olds without dementia, and topographical patterns were described for each frequency band. The application of rsEEG power as a marker for the early detection of dementia might be less conclusive for high-agers.

Keywords: EEG reactivity; aged 80 and over; eyes closed; eyes open; mild cognitive impairment; resting state EEG.