Primarily Disrupted Default Subsystems Cause Impairments in Inter-system Interactions and a Higher Regulatory Burden in Alzheimer's Disease

Background: Intrinsically organized large-scale brain networks and their interactions support complex cognitive function. Investigations suggest that the default network (DN) is the earliest disrupted network and that the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) and dorsal attention network (DAN) are subsequently impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD). These large-scale networks comprise different subsystems (DN: medial temporal lobe (MTL), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DM) subsystems and a Core; FPCN: FPCNA and FPCNB). Our previous research has indicated that different DN subsystems are not equally damaged in AD. However, changes in the patterns of interactions among these large-scale network subsystems and the underlying cause of the alterations in AD remain unclear. We hypothesized that disrupted DN subsystems cause specific impairments in inter-system interactions and a higher regulatory burden for the FPCNA. Method: To test this hypothesis, Granger causality analysis (GCA) was performed to explore effective functional connectivity (FC) pattern of these networks. The regional information flow strength (IFS) was calculated and compared across groups to explore changes in the subsystems and their inter-system interactions and the relationship between them. To investigate specific inter-system changes, we summed the inter-system IFS and performed correlation analyses of the bidirectional inter-system IFS, which was compared across groups. Additionally, correlation analyses of dynamic effective FC patterns were performed to reveal alterations in the temporal co-evolution of sets of inter-subsystem interactions. Furthermore, we used partial correlation analysis to quantify the FPCN's regulatory effects. Finally, we applied a support vector machine (SVM) linear classifier to probe which network most effectively discriminated patients from controls. Results: Compared with controls, AD patients showed a decreased intra-DN regional IFS, which was significantly related to the inter-network's IFS. The IFS between the DN subsystems and FPCN subsystems/DAN decreased. Critically, the correlation values of the decreased bidirectional IFS between the DN subsystems and FPCNA diminished. Additionally, the Core and DM play pivotal roles in disordered temporal co-evolution. Furthermore, the FPCNA showed enhanced regulation of the Core. Finally, the MTL subsystem and Core were effective at discriminating patients from controls. Conclusion: The predominantly disrupted DN subsystems caused impaired inter-system interactions and created a higher regulatory burden for the FPCNA.