Skip to main content

MINI REVIEW article

Front. Aging Neurosci.
Sec. Neurocognitive Aging and Behavior
Volume 16 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1486481
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent advances in research on cognitive frailty and related conditions View all 10 articles

Neurophysiological markers of early cognitive decline in older adults: a mini-review of electroencephalography studies for precursors of dementia

Provisionally accepted
Mutsuhide Tanaka Mutsuhide Tanaka 1*Emi Yamada Emi Yamada 2Futoshi Mori Futoshi Mori 1
  • 1 Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
  • 2 Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The early detection of cognitive decline in older adults is crucial for preventing dementia. This mini-review focuses on electroencephalography (EEG) markers of early dementia-related precursors, including subjective cognitive decline, subjective memory complaints, and cognitive frailty. We present recent findings from EEG analyses identifying high dementia risk in older adults, with an emphasis on conditions that precede mild cognitive impairment. We also cover event-related potentials, quantitative EEG markers, microstate analysis, and functional connectivity approaches. Moreover, we discuss the potential of these neurophysiological markers for the early detection of cognitive decline as well as their correlations with related biomarkers. The integration of EEG data with advanced artificial intelligence technologies also shows promise for predicting the trajectory of cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disorders. Although challenges remain in its standardization and clinical application, EEG-based approaches offer non-invasive, cost-effective methods for identifying individuals at risk of dementia, which may enable earlier interventions and personalized treatment strategies.

    Keywords: electroencephalogram (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPs), dementia prevention, neurophysiological biomarker, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Subjective cognitive decline, subjective memory complaint, cognitive frailty

    Received: 26 Aug 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Tanaka, Yamada and Mori. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Mutsuhide Tanaka, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.