Home › Research › Treatments
A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled-trial of triflusal in mild cognitive impairment: the TRIMCI study
Gómez-Isla T, Blesa R, Boada M, Clarimón J, Del Ser T, Domenech G, Ferro JM, Gómez-Ansón B et al.. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders, 2008-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Amnestic mild cognitive impairment represents, in many cases, the earliest clinical phases of Alzheimer disease. Anti-inflammatory agents have epidemiologic support as drugs potentially beneficial in Alzheimer disease. In vivo studies have shown that Triflusal and its active metabolite 2-hydroxy-4-trifluoromethyl-benzoic acid have potent anti-inflammatory actions in the central nervous system. Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Triflusal in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive 900 mg of Triflusal or placebo for 18 months. The primary outcome was a change in Cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale; conversion to dementia was a secondary outcome. Results A slow rate of recruitment forced a premature cessation of the study. Two hundred and fifty-seven subjects were enrolled and followed-up for an average of 13 months. The significance level was not reached for the primary outcome even though a trend in favor of Triflusal was observed. However, there was a significant difference in the probability of progression to dementia of Alzheimer's type with a lower risk in the Triflusal compared with the placebo group (hazard ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-4.01; P=0.024). Conclusions In this study, Triflusal therapy was associated with a significant lower rate of conversion to dementia that is likely to be clinically relevant. Because the trial was prematurely halted, these results should be interpreted with caution and require further confirmation.
Key findings
- In vivo studies have shown that Triflusal and its active metabolite 2-hydroxy-4-trifluoromethyl-benzoic acid have potent anti-inflammatory actions in the central nervous system.
- Results A slow rate of recruitment forced a premature cessation of the study.
- However, there was a significant difference in the probability of progression to dementia of Alzheimer's type with a lower risk in the Triflusal compared with the placebo group (hazard ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-4.01; P=0.024).
- Conclusions In this study, Triflusal therapy was associated with a significant lower rate of conversion to dementia that is likely to be clinically relevant.
- Because the trial was prematurely halted, these results should be interpreted with caution and require further confirmation.
Why it matters
In this trial of 257 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, triflusal did not reach significance on the primary cognitive outcome, though there was a lower risk of progression to Alzheimer's dementia. Recruitment stopped early, so the results are limited and do not establish triflusal as a treatment or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Treatments →
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer disease and associated disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders: journal h-index 131 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” 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 | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 64 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.2 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Ferràn Torres: h-index 68 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: institution h-index 782 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18317243) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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
Gómez-Isla, T., Blesa, R., Boada, M., Clarimón, J., Del Ser, T., Domenech, G., et al. (2008). A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled-trial of triflusal in mild cognitive impairment: the TRIMCI study. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. https://doi.org/10.1097/wad.0b013e3181611024
Vancouver
Gómez-Isla T, Blesa R, Boada M, Clarimón J, Del Ser T, Domenech G, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled-trial of triflusal in mild cognitive impairment: the TRIMCI study. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. 2008. doi:10.1097/wad.0b013e3181611024. PMID: 18317243.
BibTeX
@article{gomezisla2008-18317243,
author = {Gómez-Isla, T. and Blesa, R. and Boada, M. and Clarimón, J. and Del Ser, T. and Domenech, G. and Ferro, J. M. and Gómez-Ansón, B. and others},
title = {{A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled-trial of triflusal in mild cognitive impairment: the TRIMCI study}},
journal = {Alzheimer disease and associated disorders},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1097/wad.0b013e3181611024},
pmid = {18317243},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/wad.0b013e3181611024}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.
Later studies that cite this one
4 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Treatments
Also tagged “double-blind”
783 studies in the library carry the topic tag “double-blind”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 783 tagged studies.