Home › Research › Long-term cohort studies
An MRI-based strategy for differentiation of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Yu Q, Mai Y, Ruan Y, Luo Y, Zhao L, Fang W, Cao Z, Li Y et al.. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2021-01-12
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background The differential diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is difficult due to the overlaps of clinical symptoms. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) presents distinct brain atrophy and potentially helps in their differentiation. In this study, we aim at deriving a novel integrated index by leveraging the volumetric measures in brain regions with significant difference between AD and FTD and developing an MRI-based strategy for the differentiation of FTD and AD.
Key findings
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) presents distinct brain atrophy and potentially helps in their differentiation.
- In this study, we aim at deriving a novel integrated index by leveraging the volumetric measures in brain regions with significant difference between AD and FTD and developing an MRI-based strategy for the differentiation of FTD and AD.
- Methods In this study, the data were acquired from three different databases, including 47 subjects with FTD, 47 subjects with AD, and 47 normal controls in the NACC database; 50 subjects with AD in the ADNI database; and 50 subjects with FTD in the FTLDNI database.
- The MR images of all subjects were automatically segmented, and the brain atrophy, including the AD resemblance atrophy index (AD-RAI), was quantified using AccuBrain®.
Why it matters
This study developed a method using MRI brain scans to help tell apart frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease, which can be difficult to distinguish based on symptoms alone. Better differentiation could improve diagnosis, but this is a diagnostic tool rather than a treatment.
Study details
- Participants47
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer's research & therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s Research & Therapy: journal h-index 146 (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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 47 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 64 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.1 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jun Liu: h-index 50 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Chinese University of Hong Kong: institution h-index 1,100 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33436059) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00757-5
- PubMed: 33436059
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s Research & Therapy →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Yu, Q., Mai, Y., Ruan, Y., Luo, Y., Zhao, L., Fang, W., et al. (2021). An MRI-based strategy for differentiation of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's research & therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-020-00757-5
Vancouver
Yu Q, Mai Y, Ruan Y, Luo Y, Zhao L, Fang W, et al. An MRI-based strategy for differentiation of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2021. doi:10.1186/s13195-020-00757-5. PMID: 33436059.
BibTeX
@article{yu2021-33436059,
author = {Yu, Q. and Mai, Y. and Ruan, Y. and Luo, Y. and Zhao, L. and Fang, W. and Cao, Z. and Li, Y. and others},
title = {{An MRI-based strategy for differentiation of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Alzheimer's research \& therapy},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-020-00757-5},
pmid = {33436059},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-020-00757-5}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 17.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Long-term cohort studies
Also tagged “classification”
835 studies in the library carry the topic tag “classification”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 835 tagged studies.