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Alzheimer patients and Down patients: abnormal presynaptic terminals are related to cerebral preamyloid deposits
Bugiani O, Giaccone G, Verga L, Pollo B, Ghetti B, Frangione B, Tagliavini F.. Neuroscience letters, 1990-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
In Alzheimer's disease, in Down syndrome and in normal aging, scattered deposits of amyloid fibril precursors occur in both cerebral cortex and subcortical grey structures. Within such preamyloid deposits, no degenerating neurites with paired helical filaments have ever been observed. This study, carried out on brains from Alzheimer patients and Down patients, reports on the relationship between preamyloid deposits and neuritic changes. These changes were represented by presynaptic terminal swellings immunolabeled by antisynaptophysin and antiubiquitin antibodies, not by Alz50. These findings support the view that the deposition of amyloid fibril precursors in the neuropil is closely related to presynaptic terminals, although whether the former precedes or follows the development of presynaptic terminal changes is still undetermined.
Key findings
- These findings support the view that the deposition of amyloid fibril precursors in the neuropil is closely related to presynaptic terminals, although whether the former precedes or follows the development of presynaptic terminal changes is still undetermined.
Why it matters
In brains from Alzheimer and Down syndrome patients, abnormal presynaptic terminals were found near early amyloid deposits. It is unclear whether the deposits come before or after the terminal changes, and no treatment is tested.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
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 (Neuroscience letters) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neuroscience Letters: journal h-index 267 (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 | 1990 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 54 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.4 citations a year over 38 year(s) since 1990 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Fabrizio Tagliavini: h-index 84 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | New York University: institution h-index 1,612 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 1965862) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 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. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Bugiani, O., Giaccone, G., Verga, L., Pollo, B., Ghetti, B., Frangione, B., et al. (1990). Alzheimer patients and Down patients: abnormal presynaptic terminals are related to cerebral preamyloid deposits. Neuroscience letters. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(90)90754-w
Vancouver
Bugiani O, Giaccone G, Verga L, Pollo B, Ghetti B, Frangione B, et al. Alzheimer patients and Down patients: abnormal presynaptic terminals are related to cerebral preamyloid deposits. Neuroscience letters. 1990. doi:10.1016/0304-3940(90)90754-w. PMID: 1965862.
BibTeX
@article{bugiani1990-1965862,
author = {Bugiani, O. and Giaccone, G. and Verga, L. and Pollo, B. and Ghetti, B. and Frangione, B. and Tagliavini, F.},
title = {{Alzheimer patients and Down patients: abnormal presynaptic terminals are related to cerebral preamyloid deposits}},
journal = {Neuroscience letters},
year = {1990},
doi = {10.1016/0304-3940(90)90754-w},
pmid = {1965862},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(90)90754-w}
}
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