How are resting brain patterns linked to cognitive performance in older adults?

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Evidence suggests that brain activity at rest slowly moves through different states, with whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) temporarily settling into distinct patterns. However, the functional role of resting-state activity remains unclear.

The researchers investigated how switching between resting-state FC patterns relates to cognitive performance in healthy older adults. They analyzed resting-state fMRI data from 98 healthy adults who had previously been classified among the best or worst performers in a cohort of more than 1,000 people aged 50 or older who underwent neuropsychological assessment.

They used a novel approach focused on the dominant FC pattern captured by the leading eigenvector of dynamic FC matrices. They detected recurring FC patterns, or states, and characterized them by their lifetime, probability of occurrence and switching profiles.

Poorer cognitive performance was associated with weaker FC temporal similarity and altered switching between FC states. The authors concluded that the findings provide new evidence linking resting FC switching dynamics with cognitive performance in later life, supporting a functional role for resting-state activity in effective cognitive processing.