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66/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 66 out of 100. Getting a diagnosis

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is a multi-center study assessing neuroimaging in diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring. Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) often represents a prodromal form of dementia, conferring a 10-15% annual risk of converting to probable AD. We analyzed baseline 1.5T MRI scans in 693 participants from the ADNI cohort divided into four groups by baseline diagnosis and one year MCI to probable AD conversion status to identify neuroimaging phenotypes associated with MCI and AD and potential predictive markers of imminent conversion. MP-RAGE scans were analyzed using publicly available voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and automated parcellation methods. Measures included global and hippocampal grey matter (GM) density, hippocampal and amygdalar volumes, and cortical thickness values from entorhinal cortex and other temporal and parietal lobe regions. The overall pattern of structural MRI changes in MCI (n=339) and AD (n=148) compared to healthy controls (HC, n=206) was similar to prior findings in smaller samples. MCI-Converters (n=62) demonstrated a very similar pattern of atrophic changes to the AD group up to a year before meeting clinical criteria for AD. Finally, a comparison of effect sizes for contrasts between the MCI-Converters and MCI-Stable (n=277) groups on MRI metrics indicated that degree of neurodegeneration of medial temporal structures was the best antecedent MRI marker of imminent conversion, with decreased hippocampal volume (left > right) being the most robust. Validation of imaging biomarkers is important as they can help enrich clinical trials of disease modifying agents by identifying individuals at highest risk for progression to AD.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Risacher, S. L., Saykin, A. J., West, J. D., Shen, L., Firpi, H. A., & McDonald, B. C. (2009). Baseline MRI predictors of conversion from MCI to probable AD in the ADNI cohort. Current Alzheimer research. https://doi.org/10.2174/156720509788929273

Vancouver

Risacher SL, Saykin AJ, West JD, Shen L, Firpi HA, McDonald BC. Baseline MRI predictors of conversion from MCI to probable AD in the ADNI cohort. Current Alzheimer research. 2009. doi:10.2174/156720509788929273. PMID: 19689234.

BibTeX

@article{risacher2009-19689234,
  author  = {Risacher, S. L. and Saykin, A. J. and West, J. D. and Shen, L. and Firpi, H. A. and McDonald, B. C.},
  title   = {{Baseline MRI predictors of conversion from MCI to probable AD in the ADNI cohort}},
  journal = {Current Alzheimer research},
  year    = {2009},
  doi     = {10.2174/156720509788929273},
  pmid    = {19689234},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.2174/156720509788929273}
}

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Key findings

We analyzed baseline 1.5T MRI scans in 693 participants from the ADNI cohort divided into four groups by baseline diagnosis and one year MCI to probable AD conversion status to identify neuroimaging phenotypes associated with MCI and AD and potential predictive markers of imminent conversion.
The overall pattern of structural MRI changes in MCI (n=339) and AD (n=148) compared to healthy controls (HC, n=206) was similar to prior findings in smaller samples.
MCI-Converters (n=62) demonstrated a very similar pattern of atrophic changes to the AD group up to a year before meeting clinical criteria for AD.
Finally, a comparison of effect sizes for contrasts between the MCI-Converters and MCI-Stable (n=277) groups on MRI metrics indicated that degree of neurodegeneration of medial temporal structures was the best antecedent MRI marker of imminent conversion, with decreased hippocampal volume (left > right) being the most robust.

Why it matters

This study found that people with mild cognitive impairment who later converted to Alzheimer's disease already showed a pattern of brain shrinkage on MRI similar to that of people with Alzheimer's, up to a year before diagnosis. This suggests MRI measures of brain degeneration may help predict who will develop Alzheimer's, but it does not provide a treatment or cure.

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Study details

Study designlongitudinal study
Participants339
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 66/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Current Alzheimer research)
Journal's citation record	1 / 4	Current Alzheimer Research: journal h-index 119 (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	1 / 5	2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	339 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	6 / 7	Cited 540 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	28.4 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 20.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	4 / 6	Cited by 32 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 50 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Brenna C. McDonald: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Indiana University Bloomington: institution h-index 897 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	PubMed indexes it as a multicentre study
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19689234)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	66 / 100	—

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