Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Individuals with early stages of cognitive decline face a significant stagnation in their financial capacity, leading to a decrease in quality of life. However, whether changes in brain function are associated with financial capacity remains unclear. Here, we evaluate the association between financial capacity and brain glucose metabolism.

Method: Individuals across the Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical continuum with complete FCI-SF total scores and FDG-PET imaging data were selected from the ADNI dataset. We performed a Pearson correlation with 79 brain regions of interest, extracted using the ICBM152 atlas, and the total FCI score. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to assess the relationship between FCI and different brain regions, corrected for age, gender, and education. Analyses were adjusted by Bonferroni, with p considered significant if < 0.05.

Result: A total of 1364 individuals were analyzed in this study (44% female, mean age 73.4). There were 26 brain areas in which glucose metabolism significantly correlated with FCI scores (adjusted p < 0.05, Figure 1A). The highest correlation coefficients were bilaterally located in the Caudate Nucleus and Fornix (r > 0.3, Figure 1A). The regression model demonstrated multiple significant brain regions (adjusted p < 0.05, Figure 1B). The left Fornix (β = 14.8, Figure 1C) and right Fornix (β = 13.7, Figure 1D), as well as the left Caudate Nucleus (β = 14.15, Figure 1E) and right Caudate Nucleus (β = 12.66, Figure 1F), had the highest significance (adjusted p < 0.001).

Conclusion: We observed positive associations between regional brain glucose metabolism and the FCI-Score. Thus, our findings suggest a relationship between metabolic patterns, serving as an index of brain function, and the financial capacity of individuals.