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ATN profiles among cognitively normal individuals and longitudinal cognitive outcomes
Soldan A, Pettigrew C, Fagan AM, Schindler SE, Moghekar A, Fowler C, Li QX, Collins SJ et al.. Neurology, 2019-03-06
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To examine the long-term cognitive trajectories of individuals with normal cognition at baseline and distinct amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration (ATN) profiles. Methods Pooling data across 4 cohort studies, 814 cognitively normal participants (mean baseline age = 59.6 years) were classified into 8 ATN groups using baseline CSF levels of β-amyloid 1-42 as a measure of amyloid (A), phosphorylated tau 181 as a measure of tau (T), and total tau as a measure of neurodegeneration (N). Cognitive performance was measured using a previously validated global factor score and with the Mini-Mental State Examination.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Soldan, A., Pettigrew, C., Fagan, A. M., Schindler, S. E., Moghekar, A., Fowler, C., et al. (2019). ATN profiles among cognitively normal individuals and longitudinal cognitive outcomes. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000007248
Vancouver
Soldan A, Pettigrew C, Fagan AM, Schindler SE, Moghekar A, Fowler C, et al. ATN profiles among cognitively normal individuals and longitudinal cognitive outcomes. Neurology. 2019. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000007248. PMID: 30842300.
BibTeX
@article{soldan2019-30842300,
author = {Soldan, A. and Pettigrew, C. and Fagan, A. M. and Schindler, S. E. and Moghekar, A. and Fowler, C. and Li, Q. X. and Collins, S. J. and others},
title = {{ATN profiles among cognitively normal individuals and longitudinal cognitive outcomes}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000007248},
pmid = {30842300},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000007248}
}
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Key findings
- Methods Pooling data across 4 cohort studies, 814 cognitively normal participants (mean baseline age = 59.6 years) were classified into 8 ATN groups using baseline CSF levels of β-amyloid 1-42 as a measure of amyloid (A), phosphorylated tau 181 as a measure of tau (T), and total tau as a measure of neurodegeneration (N).
- Cognitive performance was measured using a previously validated global factor score and with the Mini-Mental State Examination.
- We compared the cognitive trajectories across groups using growth curve models (mean follow-up time = 7 years).
- Results Using different model formulations and cut points for determining biomarker abnormality, only the group with abnormal levels of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration (A+T+N+) showed consistently greater cognitive decline than the group with normal levels of all biomarkers (A-T-N-).
Why it matters
This cohort study pooled data from 814 cognitively normal people and grouped them by baseline CSF amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration markers to compare later cognitive trajectories. It is an observational study of how these markers relate to cognitive change over time, not a test of any treatment or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 105 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.7 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Alden L. Gross: h-index 56 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30842300) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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