Post‐task modulation of resting state EEG differentiates MCI patients from controls

Background: Early identification of cognitive decline is critical for identifying individuals for inclusion in clinical trials and for eventual care planning. Methods: A sample (ages 60–90 years) of consensus‐diagnosed, community‐dwelling Blacks (61 cognitively typical [HC], 28 amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 14 nonamnestic MCI [naMCI]) were recruited from the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology. Participants received two resting state electroencephalograms (rsEEG, eyes closed) between which they engaged in a visual motion direction discrimination task. rsEEG %change current source densities across all frequency bands and regions of interest were calculated. Results: EEG current density was not different across groups for pre‐task resting state. However, compared to HC, aMCI showed significantly greater declines at temporal and central cortical sites, while naMCI showed significant parietal declines. Conclusion: This novel approach of post–pre/cognitive challenge rsEEG successfully discriminated older persons with MCI from those without was sensitive to cognitive decline.