Assessing the relationship between relational memory and segregation of intrinsic functional brain networks vulnerable to Alzheimer’s Disease during periadolescent development: preliminary findings from the PRANK study

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an insidious disease process that is frequently diagnosed following complaints of memory loss. The AD‐related decline in memory abilities has been attributed to functional and pathological changes in the hippocampus and distributed functional networks supporting hippocampal‐dependent memory. Although AD manifests in late life, lifelong risk factors for AD may be influenced by childhood brain development. The default mode network (DMN) is one functional network associated with the hippocampus and has been well‐characterized in adulthood. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the connection between DMN network properties and relational memory abilities in childhood. Here we report preliminary findings from our ongoing study (Polygenic Risk of Alzheimer’s disease in Nebraska Kids, PRANK). The PRANK study collects functional MRI, cognitive measures, and AD polygenic risk scores from periadolescent children in Nebraska (age 8‐13 years). Here, we report the current findings measuring the relationship between brain network measures and cognitive outcomes from the PRANK study.