2026-06-27T10:23:31Zhttps://docta.ucm.es/rest/oai/request

oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/920052025-03-18T12:29:50Zcom_20.500.14352_14col_20.500.14352_15

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Nevado Pérez, Ángel author Del Río Grande, David Pedro author Pacios García, Javier author Maestu Unturbe, Fernando author 2021 Neuropsychological tests have commonly been used to determine the organization of cognitive functions by identifying latent variables. In contrast, an approach which has seldom been employed is network analysis. We characterize the network structure of a set of representative neuropsychological test scores in cognitively healthy older adults and MCI and dementia patients using network analysis. We employed the neuropsychological battery from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center which included healthy controls (n=7623), mild cognitive impairment patients (n=5981) and dementia patients (n=2040), defined according to the Clinical Dementia Rating. The results showed that, according to several network analysis measures, the most central cognitive function is executive function followed by language, attention, and memory. At the test level, the most central test was the Trail Making Test B, which measures cognitive flexibility. Importantly, these results and most other network measures, such as the community organization and graph representation, were similar across the three diagnostic groups. Therefore, network analysis can help to establish a ranking of cognitive functions and tests based on network centrality and suggests that this organization is preserved in dementia. Central nodes might be particularly relevant both from a theoretical and clinical point of view, as they are more associated with other nodes, and their disruption is likely to have a larger effect on the overall network than peripheral nodes. The present analysis may provide a proof of principle for the application of network analysis to cognitive data. Nevado, A., Del Rio, D., Pacios, J., & Maestú, F. (2021). Neuropsychological networks in cognitively healthy older adults and dementia patients. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 29(5), 903–927. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2021.1965951 1382-5585 10.1080/13825585.2021.1965951 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/92005 1744-4128 https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2021.1965951 Neuropsychological networks in cognitively healthy older adults and dementia patients