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Alpha-lipoic acid as a new treatment option for Alzheimer's disease--a 48 months follow-up analysis
Hager K, Kenklies M, McAfoose J, Engel J, Münch G.. Journal of neural transmission. Supplementum, 2007-01-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Oxidative stress and neuronal energy depletion are characteristic biochemical hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is therefore conceivable that pro-energetic and antioxidant drugs such as alpha-lipoic acid might delay the onset or slow down the progression of the disease. In a previous study, 600mg alpha-lipoic acid was given daily to nine patients with AD (receiving a standard treatment with choline-esterase inhibitors) in an open-label study over an observation period of 12 months.
Key findings
- It is therefore conceivable that pro-energetic and antioxidant drugs such as alpha-lipoic acid might delay the onset or slow down the progression of the disease.
- In a previous study, 600mg alpha-lipoic acid was given daily to nine patients with AD (receiving a standard treatment with choline-esterase inhibitors) in an open-label study over an observation period of 12 months.
- The treatment led to a stabilization of cognitive functions in the study group, demonstrated by constant scores in two neuropsychological tests (the mini mental state exam, MMSE and the Alzheimer's disease assessment score cognitive subscale, ADAScog).
- In this report, we have extended the analysis to 43 patients over an observation period of up to 48 months.
Why it matters
In this small open-label study, nine patients with Alzheimer's disease taking 600mg alpha-lipoic acid daily alongside standard cholinesterase inhibitors showed stable cognitive scores over 12 months. Because the study was open-label and involved only nine patients, it cannot show whether alpha-lipoic acid actually slows or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Study designopen-label trial
- Participants43
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 48 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 50 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neural transmission. Supplementum) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “open-label trial”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 43 participants |
| 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 (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 155 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.4 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 33.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gerald W Münch: h-index 65 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | James Cook University: institution h-index 594 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17982894) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 48 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 48 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 50 out of 100. |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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
Hager, K., Kenklies, M., McAfoose, J., Engel, J., & Münch, G. (2007). Alpha-lipoic acid as a new treatment option for Alzheimer's disease--a 48 months follow-up analysis. Journal of neural transmission. Supplementum. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-73574-9_24
Vancouver
Hager K, Kenklies M, McAfoose J, Engel J, Münch G. Alpha-lipoic acid as a new treatment option for Alzheimer's disease--a 48 months follow-up analysis. Journal of neural transmission. Supplementum. 2007. doi:10.1007/978-3-211-73574-9_24. PMID: 17982894.
BibTeX
@article{hager2007-17982894,
author = {Hager, K. and Kenklies, M. and McAfoose, J. and Engel, J. and Münch, G.},
title = {{Alpha-lipoic acid as a new treatment option for Alzheimer's disease--a 48 months follow-up analysis}},
journal = {Journal of neural transmission. Supplementum},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-211-73574-9_24},
pmid = {17982894},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-73574-9_24}
}
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