Sustained attention in dementia with Lewy bodies: a task-based fMRI study.
Front Aging Neurosci 2026; 18:1822185.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) typically experience attentional deficits. Understanding these deficits and the underlying neural correlates is crucial as sustained attention supports higher level cognitive functions. The objective of this study was to investigate the patterns of brain connectivity during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sustained attention task in a DLB group compared with healthy controls (HC).

METHODS

In this study, 30 DLB patients and 25 HC underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and a brain 3T MRI protocol that included a high-resolution structural sequence (T1-w 3D MPRAGE) and a task-based fMRI study using an auditory Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT).

RESULTS

DLB patients performed worse in neuropsychological tests mainly related to the visuospatial domain and had poorer performance than HC on sustained attention (i.e., PVT) in terms of lapses and longer response times. Moreover, during the PVT, the DLB group exhibited significantly lower activation in the precuneus, intracalcarine cortex, angular gyrus and cuneus, regions implicated in sustained attention.

DISCUSSION

Overall, the identification of a distinct pattern of brain activity related to attention impairment in DLB patients offers opportunities for the development of tailored cognitive stimulation treatments.

Links

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Braghittoni DIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy.
Venturi GIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy.
Guidi LIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy.
Capogna EIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy.
Sighinolfi GIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy.
Baldelli LDepartment of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O.C. Clinica Neurologica Rete Metropolitana (NeuroMet), Bologna, Italy.
Amore GIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy.
La Morgia CDepartment of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy.
Sambati LIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, U.O.C. Clinica Neurologica Rete Metropolitana (NeuroMet), Bologna, Italy.
Venneri ADepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Lodi RIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy. Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Tonon CIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy. Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Mitolo MIRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

42358605