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44/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 44 out of 100. Risk factors

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Participants' age ranged from 45 to 87, 53% were women, and 26% were diagnosed with dementia (39% AD, 18% Lewy Body and 17% Frontotemporal Dementia; Table 1). In the whole sample, higher walkability was only associated with lower T-tau levels, with no associations observed for other outcomes (Table 2). Stratified analyses by area deprivation, showed that higher walkability was associated with lower T-tau and YKL-40 levels among individuals living in areas with higher ADI. Additionally, higher walkability was marginally associated with lower GDS-30 scores among individuals in medium-deprivation areas. Stratified analyses by cognitive status, showed that higher walkability was associated with lower Aβ burden only among individuals with dementia (Figure 1). Our findings link neighbourhood walkability to neurodegeneration, as well as neuroinflammation and depressive symptoms in highly and moderately deprived areas and to lower Aβ in individuals with a dementia diagnosis. Future research should explore the mediating mechanisms linking walkability to brain and mental health, including physical activity and mental health promotion. Urban planning strategies may consider both walkability and neighbourhood socioeconomic context to optimize cognitive and mental health outcomes in aging populations.

Key findings

Participants' age ranged from 45 to 87, 53% were women, and 26% were diagnosed with dementia (39% AD, 18% Lewy Body and 17% Frontotemporal Dementia; Table 1).
In the whole sample, higher walkability was only associated with lower T-tau levels, with no associations observed for other outcomes (Table 2).
Stratified analyses by area deprivation, showed that higher walkability was associated with lower T-tau and YKL-40 levels among individuals living in areas with higher ADI.
Additionally, higher walkability was marginally associated with lower GDS-30 scores among individuals in medium-deprivation areas.
Stratified analyses by cognitive status, showed that higher walkability was associated with lower Aβ burden only among individuals with dementia (Figure 1).

Why it matters

This cross-sectional study found that living in a more walkable neighborhood was linked to lower levels of some markers of neurodegeneration and inflammation, mainly in more deprived areas, and to lower amyloid burden in people already diagnosed with dementia. It cannot show cause and effect, and the authors say future research should explore the mechanisms linking walkability to brain and mental health.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants255
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 44/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 42 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 44 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in 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	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	255 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	0 / 7	Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	0 / 6	Cited 0.0× 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	0 / 4	Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	— / 4	OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Eider M Arenaza‐Urquijo holds only 4 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona: institution h-index 782 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41434663)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	42 / 96	Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 42 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 44 out of 100.
Total	44 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

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

Palpatzis, E., Aguilar, P. A., Colceriu, C. M., López, A., Zsadanyi, S. E., Franquesa‐Mullerat, M., et al. (2025). Association of neighbourhood walkability with pathophysiological markers and depressive symptoms by area deprivation index and cognitive status in older adults. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70860_105259

Vancouver

Palpatzis E, Aguilar PA, Colceriu CM, López A, Zsadanyi SE, Franquesa‐Mullerat M, et al. Association of neighbourhood walkability with pathophysiological markers and depressive symptoms by area deprivation index and cognitive status in older adults. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz70860_105259. PMID: 41434663.

BibTeX

@article{palpatzis2025-41434663,
  author  = {Palpatzis, Eleni and Aguilar, Pablo Analuisa and Colceriu, Carmen M and López, Alex and Zsadanyi, Sára E. and Franquesa‐Mullerat, María and Petricola, Sami and Valentín, Antònia and others},
  title   = {{Association of neighbourhood walkability with pathophysiological markers and depressive symptoms by area deprivation index and cognitive status in older adults}},
  journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1002/alz70860_105259},
  pmid    = {41434663},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70860_105259}
}

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