Associations between brain structures, cognition and dual-task performance in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A study based on voxel-based morphology

This study aimed to explore the associations between brain structures, cognition, and motor control in participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with a focus on dual-task performance. Thirty MCI patients and thirty healthy controls were enrolled. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to calculate brain parenchyma volume and gray matter volume (GMV). Participants performed single- and dual-task Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests, and the correlations between significant GMV differences and task execution time was analyzed. MCI patients showed significantly lower MoCA scores, particularly in visuospatial/executive, attention, and delayed recall domains (p