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Amyloid-β protein dimers isolated directly from Alzheimer's brains impair synaptic plasticity and memory
Ganesh M. Shankar, Shaomin Li, Tapan Mehta, Amaya García-Muñoz, Nina E. Shepardson, Imelda M. Smith, Francesca M. Brett, Michael Anthony Farrell, Michael J. Rowan, Cynthia Ann Lemere, Ciaran M. Regan, Dominic M. Walsh, Bernardo Luis Sabatini, Dennis J. Selkoe. Nature Medicine, 2008-06-22
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Researchers extracted soluble amyloid-beta protein oligomers directly from the cerebral cortex of subjects with Alzheimer's disease to study their impact. They discovered that these oligomers inhibited long-term potentiation, enhanced long-term depression, reduced dendritic spine density, and disrupted memory in normal rodents. The findings indicate that soluble oligomers extracted from Alzheimer's brains impair synapse structure and function, with dimers acting as the smallest synaptotoxic species.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Shankar, G. M., Li, S., Mehta, T., García-Muñoz, A., Shepardson, N. E., Smith, I. M., et al. (2008). Amyloid-β protein dimers isolated directly from Alzheimer's brains impair synaptic plasticity and memory. Nature Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1782
Vancouver
Shankar GM, Li S, Mehta T, García-Muñoz A, Shepardson NE, Smith IM, et al. Amyloid-β protein dimers isolated directly from Alzheimer's brains impair synaptic plasticity and memory. Nature Medicine. 2008. doi:10.1038/nm1782. PMID: 18568035.
BibTeX
@article{shankar2008-18568035,
author = {Shankar, Ganesh M. and Li, Shaomin and Mehta, Tapan and García-Muñoz, Amaya and Shepardson, Nina E. and Smith, Imelda M. and Brett, Francesca M. and Farrell, Michael Anthony and Rowan, Michael J. and Lemere, Cynthia Ann and Regan, Ciaran M. and Walsh, Dominic M. and Sabatini, Bernardo Luis and Selkoe, Dennis J.},
title = {{Amyloid-β protein dimers isolated directly from Alzheimer's brains impair synaptic plasticity and memory}},
journal = {Nature Medicine},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1038/nm1782},
pmid = {18568035},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1782}
}
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 14 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.
Key findings
- The oligomers potently inhibited long-term potentiation (LTP), enhanced long-term depression (LTD) and reduced dendritic spine density in normal rodent hippocampus.
- Soluble Abeta from Alzheimer's disease brain also disrupted the memory of a learned behavior in normal rats.
- These various effects were specifically attributable to Abeta dimers.
Why it matters
Reports that amyloid-beta protein dimers taken directly from Alzheimer's brains impaired synaptic plasticity and memory.
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence, so that was left out: it earned 60 of the 95 points we could judge it on, which is 63 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Nature Medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Medicine: journal h-index 763 (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 | 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 | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 3,686 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 184.3 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 152.8× 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 | 4 / 4 | Cited 398 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Dennis J. Selkoe: h-index 174 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18568035) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 60 / 95 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 60 of the 95 points we could judge it on is 63 out of 100. |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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