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Atrophy rates accelerate in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Jack CR, Weigand SD, Shiung MM, Przybelski SA, O'Brien PC, Gunter JL, Knopman DS, Boeve BF et al.. Neurology, 2007-11-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background We tested if rates of brain atrophy accelerate in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) as they progress to typical late onset Alzheimer disease (AD). We included comparisons to subjects with aMCI who did not progress (labeled aMCI-S) and also to cognitively normal elderly subjects (CN). Methods We studied 46 subjects with aMCI who progressed to AD (labeled aMCI-P), 46 CN, and 23 aMCI-S. All subjects must have had three or more serial MRI scans. Rates of brain shrinkage and ventricular expansion were measured across all available serial MRI scans in each subject. Change in volumes relative to the point at which subjects progressed to a clinical diagnosis of AD (the index date) was modeled in aMCI-P. Change in volumes relative to age was modeled in all three clinical groups. Results In aMCI-P the change in pre to post index rate (i.e., acceleration) of ventricular expansion was 1.7 cm(3)/year, and acceleration in brain shrinkage was 5.3 cm(3)/year. Brain volume declined and ventricular volume increased in all three groups with age. Volume changes decelerated with increasing age in aMCI-P, and to a lesser extent in aMCI-S, but were linear in the matched CN. Among all subjects with aMCI, rates of atrophy were greater in apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 carriers than noncarriers. Conclusions Rates of atrophy accelerate as individuals progress from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) to typical late onset Alzheimer disease (AD). Rates of atrophy are greater in younger than older subjects with aMCI who progressed to AD and subjects with aMCI who did not progress. We did not find that atrophy rates varied with age in 70- to 90-year-old cognitively normal subjects.
Key findings
- Results In aMCI-P the change in pre to post index rate (i.e., acceleration) of ventricular expansion was 1.7 cm(3)/year, and acceleration in brain shrinkage was 5.3 cm(3)/year.
Why it matters
In people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment who progressed to Alzheimer disease, the rate of brain shrinkage and ventricle enlargement sped up around the time of diagnosis. This describes how atrophy changes over the course of illness and does not test any treatment.
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Study details
- Participants46
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported 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 | 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 | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 46 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 178 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.9 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 27 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 12 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Ronald Carl Petersen: h-index 209 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre 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 18032747) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000281688.77598.35
- PubMed: 18032747
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
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
Jack, C. R., Weigand, S. D., Shiung, M. M., Przybelski, S. A., O'Brien, P. C., Gunter, J. L., et al. (2008). Atrophy rates accelerate in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000281688.77598.35
Vancouver
Jack CR, Weigand SD, Shiung MM, Przybelski SA, O'Brien PC, Gunter JL, et al. Atrophy rates accelerate in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2008. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000281688.77598.35. PMID: 18032747.
BibTeX
@article{jack2008-18032747,
author = {Jack, C. R. and Weigand, S. D. and Shiung, M. M. and Przybelski, S. A. and O'Brien, P. C. and Gunter, J. L. and Knopman, D. S. and Boeve, B. F. and others},
title = {{Atrophy rates accelerate in amnestic mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000281688.77598.35},
pmid = {18032747},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000281688.77598.35}
}
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