Dementia Severity Is Associated with Resting-State fMRI Network Responses to Nuisance Regression

In 201 ADNI participants, dementia severity (CDR-SB) is linked to a smaller CompCor-related reduction in resting-state network temporal concentration (+0.472 percentage points per CDR-SB point).

• Why it matters: Resting-state fMRI disease effects may be confounded by preprocessing, but it is unclear whether sensitivity to nuisance removal itself tracks clinical severity.
• What they did: The study measured coordinated timing across seven Yeo networks using a delay-based concentration statistic, comparing motion+trend regression versus motion+trend plus five anatomical CompCor components. It repeated the test with matched discrete cosine temporal regressors and used controlled simulations to probe mechanisms.
• The result: The severity association persisted with the alternative temporal-trend removal (+0.464) and simulations indicate preprocessing changes can alter observed concentration via amplitude and nuisance contamination, even when neural coupling is unchanged.

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