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Alzheimer's Disease: Cell-Specific Pathology Isolates the Hippocampal Formation
Bradley T. Hyman, Gary W. Van Hoesen, António R. Damásio, Clifford L. Barnes. Science, 1984-09-14
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Examination of temporal lobe structures from Alzheimer patients reveals a specific cellular pattern of pathology of the subiculum of the hippocampal formation and layers II and IV of the entorhinal cortex. The affected cells are precisely those that interconnect the hippocampal formation with the association cortices, basal forebrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus, structures crucial to memory. This focal pattern of pathology isolates the hippocampal formation from much of its input and output and probably contributes to the memory disorder in Alzheimer patients.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Hyman, B. T., Van Hoesen, G. W., Damásio, A. R., & Barnes, C. L. (1984). Alzheimer's Disease: Cell-Specific Pathology Isolates the Hippocampal Formation. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6474172
Vancouver
Hyman BT, Van Hoesen GW, Damásio AR, Barnes CL. Alzheimer's Disease: Cell-Specific Pathology Isolates the Hippocampal Formation. Science. 1984. doi:10.1126/science.6474172. PMID: 6474172.
BibTeX
@article{hyman1984-6474172,
author = {Hyman, Bradley T. and Van Hoesen, Gary W. and Damásio, António R. and Barnes, Clifford L.},
title = {{Alzheimer's Disease: Cell-Specific Pathology Isolates the Hippocampal Formation}},
journal = {Science},
year = {1984},
doi = {10.1126/science.6474172},
pmid = {6474172},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6474172}
}
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.
Why it matters
Examining temporal lobe tissue from Alzheimer patients, the authors found damage concentrated in specific cells of the hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex that connect it with other brain structures crucial to memory. They suggest this pattern cuts the hippocampal formation off from much of its input and output and probably contributes to the memory disorder.
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence and senior author's track record, so those were left out: it earned 49 of the 91 points we could judge it on, which is 54 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Science) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Science: journal h-index 1,754 (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 | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1984 — 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 | 7 / 7 | Cited 2,281 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 51.8 citations a year over 44 year(s) since 1984 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 55.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 108 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Clifford L. Barnes holds only 6 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Iowa: institution h-index 1,080 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 6474172) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 49 / 91 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 49 of the 91 points we could judge it on is 54 out of 100. |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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