A new method to build multiplex networks using canonical correlation analysis for the characterization of the Alzheimer’s disease continuum

摘要

Objective. The aim of this study was to solve one of the current limitations for the characterizationof the brain network in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continuum. Nowadays, frequency-dependentapproaches have reached contradictory results depending on the frequency band under study,tangling the possible clinical interpretations. Approach. To overcome this issue, we proposed a newmethod to build multiplex networks based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Our methoddetermines two basis vectors using the source and electrode-level frequency-specific networkparameters for a reference group, and then project the results for the rest of the groups into thesehyperplanes to make them comparable. It was applied to: (ⅰ) synthetic signals generated with aKuramoto-based model; and (ⅱ) a resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) database formed byrecordings from 51 cognitively healthy controls, 51 mild cognitive impairment subjects, 51 mildAD patients, 50 moderate AD patients, and 50 severe AD patients. Main results. Our results usingsynthetic signals showed that the interpretation of the proposed CCA-based multiplex parameters(multiplex strength, multiplex characteristic path length and multiplex clustering coefficient) canbe analogous to their frequency-specific counterparts, as they displayed similar behaviors in termsof average connectivity, integration, and segregation. Findings using real EEG recordings revealedthat dementia due to AD is characterized by a significant increase in average connectivity, and by aloss of integration and segregation. Significance. We can conclude that CCA can be used to buildmultiplex networks based from frequency-specific results, summarizing all the availableinformation and avoiding the limitations of possible frequency-specific conflicts. Additionally, ourmethod supposes a novel approach for the construction and analysis of multiplex networks duringAD continuum.