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A network diffusion model of disease progression in dementia
Raj A, Kuceyeski A, Weiner M.. Neuron, 2012-03-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Patterns of dementia are known to fall into dissociated but dispersed brain networks, suggesting that the disease is transmitted along neuronal pathways rather than by proximity. This view is supported by neuropathological evidence for "prion-like" transsynaptic transmission of disease agents like misfolded tau and beta amyloid. We mathematically model this transmission by a diffusive mechanism mediated by the brain's connectivity network obtained from tractography of 14 healthy-brain MRIs. Subsequent graph theoretic analysis provides a fully quantitative, testable, predictive model of dementia. Specifically, we predict spatially distinct "persistent modes," which, we found, recapitulate known patterns of dementia and match recent reports of selectively vulnerable dissociated brain networks. Model predictions also closely match T1-weighted MRI volumetrics of 18 Alzheimer's and 18 frontotemporal dementia subjects. Prevalence rates predicted by the model strongly agree with published data. This work has many important implications, including dimensionality reduction, differential diagnosis, and especially prediction of future atrophy using baseline MRI morphometrics.
Key findings
- Patterns of dementia are known to fall into dissociated but dispersed brain networks, suggesting that the disease is transmitted along neuronal pathways rather than by proximity.
- Specifically, we predict spatially distinct "persistent modes," which, we found, recapitulate known patterns of dementia and match recent reports of selectively vulnerable dissociated brain networks.
Why it matters
This modelling study proposes that dementia spreads along the brain's connectivity network rather than by proximity, and its predictions matched MRI data from 18 Alzheimer's and 18 frontotemporal dementia subjects. It is a mathematical model for understanding and predicting disease progression, not a treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed 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 | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuron) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neuron: journal h-index 689 (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 | 2012 — 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 730 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 45.6 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 31.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 19 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 151 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael Walter Weiner: h-index 171 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22445347) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Raj, A., Kuceyeski, A., & Weiner, M. (2012). A network diffusion model of disease progression in dementia. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.040
Vancouver
Raj A, Kuceyeski A, Weiner M. A network diffusion model of disease progression in dementia. Neuron. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.040. PMID: 22445347.
BibTeX
@article{raj2012-22445347,
author = {Raj, A. and Kuceyeski, A. and Weiner, M.},
title = {{A network diffusion model of disease progression in dementia}},
journal = {Neuron},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.040},
pmid = {22445347},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.040}
}
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