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Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Elicits Meningeal Venous Permeability in Humans with Early Alzheimer Disease
Mehta RI, Carpenter JS, Mehta RI, Haut MW, Ranjan M, Najib U, Lockman P, Wang P et al.. Radiology, 2021-01-05
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Results Three women (aged 61, 72, and 73 years) consecutively enrolled in the trial successfully completed repeated focused ultrasound-induced BBB opening of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mehta, R. I., Carpenter, J. S., Haut, M. W., Ranjan, M., Najib, U., Lockman, P., et al. (2021). Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Elicits Meningeal Venous Permeability in Humans with Early Alzheimer Disease. Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2021200643
Vancouver
Mehta RI, Carpenter JS, Haut MW, Ranjan M, Najib U, Lockman P, et al. Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Elicits Meningeal Venous Permeability in Humans with Early Alzheimer Disease. Radiology. 2021. doi:10.1148/radiol.2021200643. PMID: 33399511.
BibTeX
@article{mehta2021-33399511,
author = {Mehta, R. I. and Carpenter, J. S. and Haut, M. W. and Ranjan, M. and Najib, U. and Lockman, P. and Wang, P. and others},
title = {{Blood-Brain Barrier Opening with MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Elicits Meningeal Venous Permeability in Humans with Early Alzheimer Disease}},
journal = {Radiology},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1148/radiol.2021200643},
pmid = {33399511},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2021200643}
}
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Key findings
- Results Three women (aged 61, 72, and 73 years) consecutively enrolled in the trial successfully completed repeated focused ultrasound-induced BBB opening of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.
Why it matters
In this small early trial, three women with early Alzheimer's disease safely underwent repeated focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier in memory-related brain regions. The study only reports that the procedure was completed successfully and does not show whether it improves memory or changes the disease course.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a mid-stage phase 2 trial. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Radiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Radiology: journal h-index 431 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 8 / 12 | A mid-stage phase 2 trial (from PubMed type “Clinical Trial, Phase II”) |
| 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 | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 117 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.0× 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 | 3 / 4 | Cited 63 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Ali R. Rezai: h-index 78 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Rochester: institution h-index 1,195 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33399511) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
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