Aberrant spontaneous static and dynamic amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuations in cerebral small vessel disease with or without mild cognitive impairment

Background Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is considered an age‐related degenerative neurological disorder and the most common risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). The amplitude of fluctuation of low frequency (ALFF) can detect altered intrinsic brain activity in CSVD. This study explored the static and dynamic ALFFs in the early stage of CSVD with (CSVD‐M) or without (CSVD‐W) mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in these patients and how these changes contribute to cognitive deterioration. Methods Thirty consecutive CSVD cases and 18 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. All the participants underwent a 3D magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo (MPRAGE) sequence to obtain structural T1‐weighted images. Simultaneous multislice imaging 5(SMS5) was used for resting‐state functional MRI (rs‐fMRI), and Data Processing and Analysis of Brain Imaging software helped determine static ALFF (sALFF). The dynamic ALFF (dALFF) was calculated using the sliding window method of DynamicBC software. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and two‐sample t‐test were used to evaluate the sALFF and temporal variability of dALFF among the three groups. The subjects were rated on a broad standard neuropsychological scale. Partial correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between sALFF and dALFF variability and cognition (Bonferroni correction, statistical threshold set at p