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Associations of plasma p‐tau231 with serial position recall performance in free‐of‐dementia individuals
Davide Bruno, Chelsea Reichert Plaska, Ainara Jauregi Zinkunegi, Nicholas J. Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Nunzio Pomara. Journal of Neuropsychology, 2025-09-23
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Cognitive assessment and analysis of plasma biomarkers are lower-cost options for the early assessment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we examined whether serial position markers in the Rey's AVLT were sensitive to plasma AD biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired older individuals. Participants (n = 327; mean age = 70.4, SD = 10.4) were free of dementia (MMSE = 24+) at baseline and recruited as part of the Memory Evaluation Research Initiative (MERI; Nathan Kline Institute, NY, USA). Data included plasma p-tau231, Aβ40 and Aβ42, AVLT scores and demographics. Bayesian linear and logistic regression analyses were carried out with plasma biomarkers as outcomes (including the Aβ42/40 ratio); memory scores, including traditional metrics and serial position scores, were predictors; and age, years of education, APOE ε4-status and reported gender were control variables. Results indicated that plasma p-tau231 was associated primarily with delayed primacy recall (first four words): the more primacy words were recalled, the lower the plasma p-tau231 levels were. This study confirms that serial position analysis of word-list recall data, and particularly delayed primacy, is a valuable tool for the identification of in vivo AD-related pathology in cognitively unimpaired individuals.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Bruno, D., Plaska, C. R., Zinkunegi, A. J., Ashton, N. J., Zetterberg, H., Blennow, K., et al. (2025). Associations of plasma p‐tau231 with serial position recall performance in free‐of‐dementia individuals. Journal of Neuropsychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnp.70012
Vancouver
Bruno D, Plaska CR, Zinkunegi AJ, Ashton NJ, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, et al. Associations of plasma p‐tau231 with serial position recall performance in free‐of‐dementia individuals. Journal of Neuropsychology. 2025. doi:10.1111/jnp.70012. PMID: 40986437.
BibTeX
@article{bruno2025-40986437,
author = {Bruno, Davide and Plaska, Chelsea Reichert and Zinkunegi, Ainara Jauregi and Ashton, Nicholas J. and Zetterberg, Henrik and Blennow, Kaj and Pomara, Nunzio},
title = {{Associations of plasma p‐tau231 with serial position recall performance in free‐of‐dementia individuals}},
journal = {Journal of Neuropsychology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1111/jnp.70012},
pmid = {40986437},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jnp.70012}
}
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 indicated that plasma p-tau231 was associated primarily with delayed primacy recall (first four words): the more primacy words were recalled, the lower the plasma p-tau231 levels were.
Why it matters
In cognitively unimpaired older adults, lower plasma p-tau231 was associated with better delayed recall of the first words on a word-list memory test. This suggests a low-cost memory task may help flag early Alzheimer's-related pathology, but it is an association study with no treatment tested.
Study details
- Participants327
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
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 (Journal of Neuropsychology) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Journal of Neuropsychology: journal h-index 56 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 327 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× 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 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Nunzio Pomara: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 16 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40986437) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/jnp.70012
- PubMed: 40986437
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neuropsychology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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