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Astrocyte activation imaging with 11C-acetate and amyloid PET in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer pathology
Duong MT, Chen YJ, Doot RK, Young AJ, Lee H, Cai J, Pilania A, Wolk DA et al.. Nuclear medicine communications, 2021-11-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Background Neuroinflammation is a well-known feature of early Alzheimer disease (AD) yet astrocyte activation has not been extensively evaluated with in vivo imaging in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to amyloid plaque pathology. Unlike neurons, astrocytes metabolize acetate, which has potential as a glial biomarker in neurodegeneration in response to AD pathologic features. Since the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is a hotspot for AD neurodegeneration and inflammation, we assessed astrocyte activity in the MTL and compared it to amyloid and cognition. Methods We evaluate spatial patterns of in vivo astrocyte activation and their relationships to amyloid deposition and cognition in a cross-sectional pilot study of six participants with MCI and five cognitively normal participants. We measure 11C-acetate and 18F-florbetaben amyloid standardized uptake values ratios (SUVRs) and kinetic flux compared to the cerebellum on PET, with MRI and neurocognitive testing. Results MTL 11C-acetate SUVR was significantly elevated in MCI compared to cognitively normal participants (P = 0.03; Cohen d = 1.76). Moreover, MTL 11C-acetate SUVR displayed significant associations with global and regional amyloid burden in MCI. Greater MTL 11C-acetate retention was significantly related with worse neurocognitive measures including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (P = 0.001), word list recall memory (P = 0.03), Boston naming test (P = 0.04) and trails B test (P = 0.04). Conclusions While further validation is required, this exploratory pilot study suggests a potential role for 11C-acetate PET as a neuroinflammatory biomarker in MCI and early AD to provide clinical and translational insights into astrocyte activation as a pathological response to amyloid.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
This is a cross-sectional study. Being a small pilot imaging study, it does not show that targeting astrocyte activity affects the disease.
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
Duong, M. T., Chen, Y. J., Doot, R. K., Young, A. J., Lee, H., Cai, J., et al. (2021). Astrocyte activation imaging with 11C-acetate and amyloid PET in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer pathology. Nuclear medicine communications. https://doi.org/10.1097/mnm.0000000000001460
Vancouver
Duong MT, Chen YJ, Doot RK, Young AJ, Lee H, Cai J, et al. Astrocyte activation imaging with 11C-acetate and amyloid PET in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer pathology. Nuclear medicine communications. 2021. doi:10.1097/mnm.0000000000001460. PMID: 34231519.
BibTeX
@article{duong2021-34231519,
author = {Duong, M. T. and Chen, Y. J. and Doot, R. K. and Young, A. J. and Lee, H. and Cai, J. and Pilania, A. and Wolk, D. A. and others},
title = {{Astrocyte activation imaging with 11C-acetate and amyloid PET in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer pathology}},
journal = {Nuclear medicine communications},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1097/mnm.0000000000001460},
pmid = {34231519},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/mnm.0000000000001460}
}
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.
Key findings
- We measure 11C-acetate and 18F-florbetaben amyloid standardized uptake values ratios (SUVRs) and kinetic flux compared to the cerebellum on PET, with MRI and neurocognitive testing.
- Results MTL 11C-acetate SUVR was significantly elevated in MCI compared to cognitively normal participants (P = 0.03; Cohen d = 1.76).
- Moreover, MTL 11C-acetate SUVR displayed significant associations with global and regional amyloid burden in MCI.
- Greater MTL 11C-acetate retention was significantly related with worse neurocognitive measures including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (P = 0.001), word list recall memory (P = 0.03), Boston naming test (P = 0.04) and trails B test (P = 0.04).
Why it matters
In this small cross-sectional pilot study of six participants with mild cognitive impairment and five cognitively normal participants, a marker of astrocyte activity was elevated in the medial temporal lobe in mild cognitive impairment and related to amyloid burden and worse cognitive measures. Being a small pilot imaging study, it does not show that targeting astrocyte activity affects the disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nuclear medicine communications) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Nuclear Medicine Communications: journal h-index 93 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 19 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Ilya M. Nasrallah: h-index 42 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,859 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34231519) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1097/mnm.0000000000001460
- PubMed: 34231519
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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