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Anxiety symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment are associated with medial temporal atrophy and predict conversion to Alzheimer disease
Mah L, Binns MA, Steffens DC, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2014-10-29
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Objective To test the hypothesis that anxiety in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) increases rates of conversion to Alzheimer disease (AD) and to identify potential neural mechanisms underlying such an association. Methods Participants (N = 376) with aMCI from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were studied over a median period of 36 months. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to assess the association between anxiety severity ratings on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire and AD risk. Other variables were depression, memory loss, and MRI-derived AD-related regions of interest (ROIs), including hippocampal, amygdalar, entorhinal cortical (EC) volumes, and EC thickness, In addition, a linear regression model was used to determine the effect of anxiety in aMCI on rates of atrophy within ROIs. Results Anxiety severity increased rate of aMCI conversion to AD, after controlling for depression and cognitive decline. The association between anxiety and AD remained significant even with inclusion of ROI baseline values or atrophy rates as explanatory variables. Further, anxiety status predicted greater rates of decrease in EC volume. An association between anxiety and EC thickness missed significance. Conclusion Anxiety symptoms in aMCI predict conversion to AD, over and beyond the effects of depression, memory loss, or atrophy within AD neuroimaging biomarkers. These findings, together with the greater EC atrophy rate predicted by anxiety, are compatible with the hypothesis that anxiety is not a prodromal noncognitive feature of AD but may accelerate decline toward AD through direct or indirect effects on EC.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
The record lists 376 participants. In this study of 376 people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, greater anxiety severity predicted conversion to Alzheimer disease over a median of 36 months, even after accounting for depression, memory loss, and atrophy. Anxiety was also linked to faster decrease in entorhinal cortex volume, though the association with entorhinal thickness missed significance.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mah, L., Binns, M. A., Steffens, D. C., & Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. (2015). Anxiety symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment are associated with medial temporal atrophy and predict conversion to Alzheimer disease. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2014.10.005
Vancouver
Mah L, Binns MA, Steffens DC, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Anxiety symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment are associated with medial temporal atrophy and predict conversion to Alzheimer disease. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2014.10.005. PMID: 25500120.
BibTeX
@article{mah2015-25500120,
author = {Mah, L. and Binns, M. A. and Steffens, D. C. and {Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative}},
title = {{Anxiety symptoms in amnestic mild cognitive impairment are associated with medial temporal atrophy and predict conversion to Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2014.10.005},
pmid = {25500120},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2014.10.005}
}
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.
Key findings
- Results Anxiety severity increased rate of aMCI conversion to AD, after controlling for depression and cognitive decline.
- The association between anxiety and AD remained significant even with inclusion of ROI baseline values or atrophy rates as explanatory variables.
- These findings, together with the greater EC atrophy rate predicted by anxiety, are compatible with the hypothesis that anxiety is not a prodromal noncognitive feature of AD but may accelerate decline toward AD through direct or indirect effects on EC.
Why it matters
In this study of 376 people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, greater anxiety severity predicted conversion to Alzheimer disease over a median of 36 months, even after accounting for depression, memory loss, and atrophy. Anxiety was also linked to faster decrease in entorhinal cortex volume, though the association with entorhinal thickness missed significance.
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Study details
- Participants376
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 178 (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 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 376 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 150 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.5 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David C. Steffens: h-index 97 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25500120) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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