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11C PiB and structural MRI provide complementary information in imaging of Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Clifford R. Jack, Val J. Lowe, Matthew L. Senjem, Stephen D. Weigand, Bradley J. Kemp, Maria M. Shiung, David S. Knopman, Bradley F. Boeve et al.. Brain, 2008-02-07
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Interestingly, we found no consistent differences in learning and memory performance between high versus low PiB cognitively normal or amnestic MCI subjects. The SPM/VBM voxel-wise comparisons of Alzheimer's disease versus cognitively normal subjects provided complementary information in that clear and meaningful similarities and differences in topographical distribution of amyloid deposition and grey matter loss were shown. The frontal lobes had high PiB retention with little grey matter loss, anteromedial temporal areas had low PiB retention with significant grey matter loss, whereas lateral temporoparietal association cortex displayed both significant PiB retention and grey matter loss. A voxel-wise SPM conjunction analysis revealed that subjects with high PiB retention shared a common PiB retention topographical pattern regardless of clinical category, and this matched that of amyloid plaque distribution from autopsy studies of Alzheimer's disease. Both global cortical PiB retention and hippocampal volumes demonstrated significant correlation in the expected direction with cognitive testing performance; however, correlations were stronger with MRI than PiB. Pair-wise inter-group diagnostic separation was significant for all group-wise pairs for both PiB and hippocampal volume with the exception of the comparison of cognitively normal versus amnestic MCI, which was not significant for PiB.
Key findings
- Interestingly, we found no consistent differences in learning and memory performance between high versus low PiB cognitively normal or amnestic MCI subjects.
- The SPM/VBM voxel-wise comparisons of Alzheimer's disease versus cognitively normal subjects provided complementary information in that clear and meaningful similarities and differences in topographical distribution of amyloid deposition and grey matter loss were shown.
- The frontal lobes had high PiB retention with little grey matter loss, anteromedial temporal areas had low PiB retention with significant grey matter loss, whereas lateral temporoparietal association cortex displayed both significant PiB retention and grey matter loss.
- A voxel-wise SPM conjunction analysis revealed that subjects with high PiB retention shared a common PiB retention topographical pattern regardless of clinical category, and this matched that of amyloid plaque distribution from autopsy studies of Alzheimer's disease.
- Both global cortical PiB retention and hippocampal volumes demonstrated significant correlation in the expected direction with cognitive testing performance; however, correlations were stronger with MRI than PiB.
Why it matters
This study found that PiB imaging of amyloid and structural MRI of grey matter loss provide complementary information in Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and that MRI correlated more strongly with cognitive testing than PiB. It does not test a treatment or cure, but helps clarify the roles of these imaging methods.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 959 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 48.0 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 46.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 5 / 6 | Cited by 104 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 75 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Ronald Carl Petersen: h-index 209 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18263627) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Jack, C. R., Lowe, V. J., Senjem, M. L., Weigand, S. D., Kemp, B. J., Shiung, M. M., et al. (2008). 11C PiB and structural MRI provide complementary information in imaging of Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Brain. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm336
Vancouver
Jack CR, Lowe VJ, Senjem ML, Weigand SD, Kemp BJ, Shiung MM, et al. 11C PiB and structural MRI provide complementary information in imaging of Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Brain. 2008. doi:10.1093/brain/awm336. PMID: 18263627.
BibTeX
@article{jack2008-18263627,
author = {Jack, Clifford R. and Lowe, Val J. and Senjem, Matthew L. and Weigand, Stephen D. and Kemp, Bradley J. and Shiung, Maria M. and Knopman, David S. and Boeve, Bradley F. and others},
title = {{11C PiB and structural MRI provide complementary information in imaging of Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Brain},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awm336},
pmid = {18263627},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm336}
}
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