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72/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 72 out of 100. Biomarkers

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Importance Blood-based biomarkers have the potential to improve the identification of persons with the greatest dementia risk for inclusion in dementia prevention trials through low-cost and minimally invasive screening. Objective To investigate the use of plasma total tau as a blood biomarker for dementia and related endophenotypes. Design, setting, and participants This prospective cohort study used data from the US community-based Framingham Heart Study with replication in the Memento study, a multicenter cohort of persons with mild cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive complaints recruited from memory clinics across France. Total tau levels were measured from stored plasma samples in Framingham Heart Study participants during 2004 to 2011. Dementia follow-up occurred across a median of 6 years (interquartile range, 5-8 years) for persons 65 years and older who were dementia free at baseline. Plasma and/or cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained from Memento study participants from April 19, 2011, to June 22, 2016. Dementia follow-up took place over a median of 4 years (interquartile range, 3-5 years). Data analysis was performed from January to November 2018. Exposures Plasma total tau level measured using single-molecule array technology. Main outcomes and measures Incidence of dementia of any cause (all dementia) and dementia due to clinical Alzheimer disease (AD dementia). Results Among the 1453 participants in the Framingham dementia study sample, the mean (SD) age was 75 (7) years; 792 (54.5%) were female. Among the 367 individuals in the replication cohort, the mean (SD) age was 69 (9) years; 217 (59.1%) were female. Of 134 cases of incident all dementia in the Framingham sample, 105 were AD dementia. After adjustment for age and sex, each SD unit increase in the log of plasma total tau level was associated with a 35% increase in AD dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.10-1.67). The addition of plasma total tau to a model including age and sex improved the stratification of participants for risk of AD dementia (net reclassification improvement, 0.382; 95% CI, 0.030-0.716). Higher plasma total tau level was associated with poorer cognition across 7 cognitive tasks (P Conclusions and relevance The findings suggest that plasma total tau levels may improve the prediction of future dementia, are associated with dementia endophenotypes, and may be used as a biomarker for risk stratification in dementia prevention trials.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Pase, M. P., Beiser, A. S., Himali, J. J., Satizabal, C. L., Aparicio, H. J., DeCarli, C., et al. (2019). Assessment of Plasma Total Tau Level as a Predictive Biomarker for Dementia and Related Endophenotypes. JAMA neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4666

Vancouver

Pase MP, Beiser AS, Himali JJ, Satizabal CL, Aparicio HJ, DeCarli C, et al. Assessment of Plasma Total Tau Level as a Predictive Biomarker for Dementia and Related Endophenotypes. JAMA neurology. 2019. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4666. PMID: 30830207.

BibTeX

@article{pase2019-30830207,
  author  = {Pase, M. P. and Beiser, A. S. and Himali, J. J. and Satizabal, C. L. and Aparicio, H. J. and DeCarli, C. and Chêne, G. and Dufouil, C. and others},
  title   = {{Assessment of Plasma Total Tau Level as a Predictive Biomarker for Dementia and Related Endophenotypes}},
  journal = {JAMA neurology},
  year    = {2019},
  doi     = {10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4666},
  pmid    = {30830207},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4666}
}

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Key findings

Results Among the 1453 participants in the Framingham dementia study sample, the mean (SD) age was 75 (7) years; 792 (54.5%) were female.
After adjustment for age and sex, each SD unit increase in the log of plasma total tau level was associated with a 35% increase in AD dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.10-1.67).
Higher plasma total tau level was associated with poorer cognition across 7 cognitive tasks (P < .05) and smaller hippocampi (hippocampal volume: β [SE] = 0.002 [0.001]; P = .003) as well as neurofibrillary tangles (β [SE] = 0.95 [0.45]; P = .04) and microinfarcts (odds ratio, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.26-7.37) at autopsy.

Why it matters

In 1,453 dementia-free Framingham Heart Study participants aged 65+ followed for a median of 6 years, each SD increase in log plasma total tau was associated with a 35% higher risk of Alzheimer's dementia (HR 1.35; 95% CI 1.10-1.67), and higher levels were linked to poorer scores on 7 cognitive tasks. Adding it to age and sex improved risk sorting. The authors suggest it "may be used as a biomarker for risk stratification in dementia prevention trials". It is an association across a group, not a diagnostic test for individuals or a treatment target.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Participants1,453
Effect size54.5%; 59.1%
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 72/100

Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA neurology)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	JAMA Neurology: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A cohort study following people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	2 / 5	2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	1,453 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
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 205 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	22.8 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 21.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 22 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 60 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Sudha S. Seshadri: h-index 148 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 13 institution(s) in 3 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30830207)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	72 / 100	—

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