Preprint · Jun 25, 2026
A resting-state EEG functional connectivity study in informal caregivers of patients with various conditions
By KPETOU R, Pereira FR, La Corte V et al.
Background: Informal caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders represents a major public health issue. Although caregiving is widely recognised as a source of chronic psychosocial stress with potential consequences for brain health and cognition, its neurofunctional correlates remain poorly understood. Two theoretical frameworks, the Stress Process Model and the Healthy Caregiver Hypothesis, offer competing predictions regarding the cognitive impact of caregiving, yet neuroimaging studies directly addressing these perspectives remain scarce. Objective: This study aimed to investigate resting-state EEG functional connectivity in informal caregivers and non-caregivers from the INSIGHT-preAD cohort, and to explore whether caregiving status is associated with specific connectivity patterns and cognitive performance. Methods: Resting-state EEG data were analysed in 41 self-reported caregivers and 39 matched noncaregivers. Functional connectivity was estimated using the weighted Phase Lag Index across five frequency bands: delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. Analyses focused on posterior regions of the default mode network, including the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus, as well as prefrontalparahippocampal networks. Neuropsychological assessments targeted episodic memory and executive functioning. Results: Exploratory findings revealed increased beta-band functional connectivity in caregivers, particularly within posterior default mode regions and prefrontal-parahippocampal coupling. These connectivity patterns were associated with slightly poorer cognitive performance. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that informal caregiving may be associated with specific resting-state EEG connectivity patterns in cognitively unimpaired older adults. They provide new insights into potential neurofunctional mechanisms underlying vulnerability or resilience in caregivers. Keywords: Informal caregivers, EEG, functional connectivity, cognition, chronic stress