Coimbra Alexandre1, Farshid Faraji1, Alexander de Crespigny1, Lee Honigberg1, Robert Paul1, and David Clayton1
RS-fMRI was
implemented in two multicenter clinical trials of a novel therapeutic for AD. Although data of good quality were acquired,
none of three functional connectivity metrics (FCMs) showed significant
progression associated with disease in placebo-treated patients: changes in
connectivity in this mild-to-moderate AD population were less than the
measurement precision. Significant cognitive decline and brain atrophy were
observed. Test-retest precision was similar to other single-center studies. Operational
and acquisition improvements could increase data quality (though difficult in multicenter
trials), but more sensitive analysis will be needed for RS-fMRI to be a useful
tool for the development of AD therapeutics.
