Stam et al 2006

Citation

C.J.Stam, B.F.Jones, G.Nolte, M.Breakspear and Ph.Scheltens, Small-World Networks and Functional Connectivity in Alzheimer's Disease, 2006

Online Version

You can find the paper [1]

Problem

In this paper, the authors address the question whether functional brain networks in Alzheimer's Disease(AD) are characterized by a loss of small-world features such as high cluster coefficient and a short path length.

Summary

People use synchronization likelihood (SL) to investigate the connectivity or interdependencies within a dynamical system framework such as human's brain. It has been suggested that a small-world network architecture may be optimal for synchronizing neural activity between different brain regions. In this paper, the authors convert the brain network into a binary graph (vertices with undirected edges). By varying the a threshold T which controls the generation of such graphs, the authors verify that small-world phenomenon does exist in AD patients' brains.

Dataset

In this paper, the authors used 28 subjects as their data.

Analysis

In the experiments, the authors show a nonsignificant trend to lower values of cluster coefficient in AD patients and the path length is larger for those patients.

Related Papers

[1] K. Krippendorf(2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology.

[2] E. Wenzel(2006). Dropping knowledge: question-and-answer sites.