Association of Seafood Consumption, Brain Mercury Level, and APOE ε4 Status With Brain Neuropathology in Older Adults
Morris MC, Brockman J, Schneider JA, Wang Y, Bennett DA, Tangney CC, van de Rest O.. JAMA, 2016-02-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Plain-language summary
Results Among the 286 autopsied brains of 544 participants, brain mercury levels were positively correlated with the number of seafood meals consumed per week (ρ = 0.16; P = .02). In models adjusted for age, sex, education, and total energy intake, seafood consumption (≥ 1 meal[s]/week) was significantly correlated with less Alzheimer disease pathology including lower density of neuritic plaques (β = -0.69 score units [95% CI, -1.34 to -0.04]), less severe and widespread neurofibrillary tangles (β = -0.77 score units [95% CI, -1.52 to -0.02]), and lower neuropathologically defined Alzheimer disease (β = -0.53 score units [95% CI, -0.96 to -0.10]) but only among apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4) carriers. Higher intake levels of α-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) were correlated with lower odds of cerebral macroinfarctions (odds ratio for tertiles 3 vs 1, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.27 to 0.94]). Fish oil supplementation had no statistically significant correlation with any neuropathologic marker. Higher brain concentrations of mercury were not significantly correlated with increased levels of brain neuropathology.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
This is a follow-up (cohort) study of 286 participants. In autopsied brains, eating seafood at least once a week was linked to less Alzheimer pathology, but only among APOE epsilon4 carriers, and fish oil supplements showed no significant link. Reported effect size: 51.6%.
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
Morris, M. C., Brockman, J., Schneider, J. A., Wang, Y., Bennett, D. A., Tangney, C. C., et al. (2016). Association of Seafood Consumption, Brain Mercury Level, and APOE ε4 Status With Brain Neuropathology in Older Adults. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.19451
Vancouver
Morris MC, Brockman J, Schneider JA, Wang Y, Bennett DA, Tangney CC, et al. Association of Seafood Consumption, Brain Mercury Level, and APOE ε4 Status With Brain Neuropathology in Older Adults. JAMA. 2016. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.19451. PMID: 26836731.
BibTeX
@article{morris2016-26836731,
author = {Morris, M. C. and Brockman, J. and Schneider, J. A. and Wang, Y. and Bennett, D. A. and Tangney, C. C. and van de Rest, O.},
title = {{Association of Seafood Consumption, Brain Mercury Level, and APOE ε4 Status With Brain Neuropathology in Older Adults}},
journal = {JAMA},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1001/jama.2015.19451},
pmid = {26836731},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.19451}
}
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 7 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
- Results Among the 286 autopsied brains of 544 participants, brain mercury levels were positively correlated with the number of seafood meals consumed per week (ρ = 0.16; P = .02).
- In models adjusted for age, sex, education, and total energy intake, seafood consumption (≥ 1 meal[s]/week) was significantly correlated with less Alzheimer disease pathology including lower density of neuritic plaques (β = -0.69 score units [95% CI, -1.34 to -0.04]), less severe and widespread neurofibrillary tangles (β = -0.77 score units [95% CI, -1.52 to -0.02]), and lower neuropathologically defined Alzheimer disease (β = -0.53 score units [95% CI, -0.96 to -0.10]) but only among apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4) carriers.
- Higher intake levels of α-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) were correlated with lower odds of cerebral macroinfarctions (odds ratio for tertiles 3 vs 1, 0.51 [95% CI, 0.27 to 0.94]).
- Fish oil supplementation had no statistically significant correlation with any neuropathologic marker.
- Higher brain concentrations of mercury were not significantly correlated with increased levels of brain neuropathology.
Why it matters
In autopsied brains, eating seafood at least once a week was linked to less Alzheimer pathology, but only among APOE epsilon4 carriers, and fish oil supplements showed no significant link. Higher brain mercury was not linked to more neuropathology.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants286
- Effect size51.6%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 65/100
Published in a top-tier 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 | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (JAMA) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | JAMA: journal h-index 1,011 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 286 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 133 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.1 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.1× 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 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Ondine van de Rest: h-index 39 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Wageningen University & Research: institution h-index 990 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26836731) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 65 / 100 | — |
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