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Baseline Microglial Activation Correlates With Brain Amyloidosis and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease
Wang Q, Chen G, Schindler SE, Christensen J, McKay NS, Liu J, Wang S, Sun Z et al.. Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation, 2022-03-08
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background and objectives This study aims to quantify microglial activation in individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) using the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) PET imaging in the hippocampus and precuneus, the 2 AD-vulnerable regions, and to evaluate the association of baseline neuroinflammation with amyloidosis, tau, and longitudinal cognitive decline. Methods Twenty-four participants from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) were enrolled and classified into stable cognitively normal, progressor, and symptomatic AD groups based on clinical dementia rating (CDR) at 2 or more clinical assessments. The baseline TSPO radiotracer [11C]PK11195 was used to image microglial activation.
Key findings
- Methods Twenty-four participants from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) were enrolled and classified into stable cognitively normal, progressor, and symptomatic AD groups based on clinical dementia rating (CDR) at 2 or more clinical assessments.
- The baseline TSPO radiotracer [11C]PK11195 was used to image microglial activation.
- Baseline CSF concentrations of Aβ42, Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, tau phosphorylated at position 181 (p-tau181), and total tau (t-tau) were measured.
- Clinical and cognitive decline were examined with longitudinal CDR and cognitive composite scores (Global and Knight ADRC-Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite [Knight ADRC-PACC] Score).
Why it matters
In 24 participants, baseline microglial activation measured with a TSPO PET tracer correlated with brain amyloidosis and longitudinal cognitive decline. This is a small observational imaging study and does not test any treatment targeting microglial activation.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 48 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 50 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation: journal h-index 101 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same 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 | 3 / 5 | 2022 — 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 38 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.3 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 24 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (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 35260470) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 48 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 48 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 50 out of 100. |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000001152
- PubMed: 35260470
- Original source →
- Free full text: Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation →
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
Wang, Q., Chen, G., Schindler, S. E., Christensen, J., McKay, N. S., Liu, J., et al. (2022). Baseline Microglial Activation Correlates With Brain Amyloidosis and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease. Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation. https://doi.org/10.1212/nxi.0000000000001152
Vancouver
Wang Q, Chen G, Schindler SE, Christensen J, McKay NS, Liu J, et al. Baseline Microglial Activation Correlates With Brain Amyloidosis and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease. Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation. 2022. doi:10.1212/nxi.0000000000001152. PMID: 35260470.
BibTeX
@article{wang2022-35260470,
author = {Wang, Q. and Chen, G. and Schindler, S. E. and Christensen, J. and McKay, N. S. and Liu, J. and Wang, S. and Sun, Z. and others},
title = {{Baseline Microglial Activation Correlates With Brain Amyloidosis and Longitudinal Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease}},
journal = {Neurology(R) neuroimmunology \& neuroinflammation},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1212/nxi.0000000000001152},
pmid = {35260470},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/nxi.0000000000001152}
}
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