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Alzheimer's disease diagnostic progression is associated with cerebrovascular disease and neuroinflammation in adults with Down syndrome
Natalie C Edwards, Patrick J Lao, Mohamad J Alshikho, Olivia M Ericsson, Batool Rizvi, Melissa E Petersen, Sid O'Bryant, Lisi Flores-Aguilar et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025-10
Topic: Plasma and spinal-fluid biomarkers
Higher baseline WMH volume and higher GFAP were associated with a greater likelihood of diagnostic progression. Combining WMH and GFAP with p-tau217 improved clinical conversion classification accuracy over AD biomarkers alone. Among individuals with evidence of amyloidosis, both WMH and GFAP were associated with clinical progression. In DS, markers of CVD and inflammation are independently and synergistically associated with clinical AD progression. HIGHLIGHTS: Higher baseline white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) concentration were associated with a higher likelihood of progressing from cognitively stable to either mild cognitive impairment or clinical Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome. WMH volume and GFAP concentration discriminated between those who progressed and those who did not. Models including the independent and interactive effects of WMH and GFAP more accurately discriminated between participants who progressed diagnostically from those who did not. Individuals with evidence of amyloid pathology were more likely to progress if they also had elevated WMH or GFAP.
Key findings
- Higher baseline WMH volume and higher GFAP were associated with a greater likelihood of diagnostic progression.
- Combining WMH and GFAP with p-tau217 improved clinical conversion classification accuracy over AD biomarkers alone.
- Among individuals with evidence of amyloidosis, both WMH and GFAP were associated with clinical progression.
- In DS, markers of CVD and inflammation are independently and synergistically associated with clinical AD progression.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Higher baseline white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) concentration were associated with a higher likelihood of progressing from cognitively stable to either mild cognitive impairment or clinical Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome.
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Study details
- Participants24
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a leading specialty 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, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 54 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 24 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 | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41014048) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 30 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 54 out of 100. |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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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'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
Edwards, N. C., Lao, P. J., Alshikho, M. J., Ericsson, O. M., Rizvi, B., Petersen, M. E., et al. (2025). Alzheimer's disease diagnostic progression is associated with cerebrovascular disease and neuroinflammation in adults with Down syndrome. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70726
Vancouver
Edwards NC, Lao PJ, Alshikho MJ, Ericsson OM, Rizvi B, Petersen ME, et al. Alzheimer's disease diagnostic progression is associated with cerebrovascular disease and neuroinflammation in adults with Down syndrome. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70726. PMID: 41014048.
BibTeX
@article{edwards2025-41014048,
author = {Edwards, Natalie C and Lao, Patrick J and Alshikho, Mohamad J and Ericsson, Olivia M and Rizvi, Batool and Petersen, Melissa E and O'Bryant, Sid and Flores-Aguilar, Lisi and others},
title = {{Alzheimer's disease diagnostic progression is associated with cerebrovascular disease and neuroinflammation in adults with Down syndrome}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70726},
pmid = {41014048},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70726}
}
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