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Brain mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of symptom-general and -specific lesion patterns
Chen Y, Dang M, Zhang Z.. Molecular neurodegeneration, 2021-06-07
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are associated with accelerated cognitive impairment and earlier deaths. This review aims to explore the neural pathogenesis of NPSs in AD and its association with the progression of AD. We first provide a literature overview on the onset times of NPSs. Different NPSs occur in different disease stages of AD, but most symptoms appear in the preclinical AD or mild cognitive impairment stage and develop progressively. Next, we describe symptom-general and -specific patterns of brain lesions. Generally, the anterior cingulate cortex is a commonly damaged region across all symptoms, and the prefrontal cortex, especially the orbitofrontal cortex, is also a critical region associated with most NPSs. In contrast, the anterior cingulate-subcortical circuit is specifically related to apathy in AD, the frontal-limbic circuit is related to depression, and the amygdala circuit is related to anxiety. Finally, we elucidate the associations between the NPSs and AD by combining the onset time with the neural basis of NPSs.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Chen, Y., Dang, M., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Brain mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of symptom-general and -specific lesion patterns. Molecular neurodegeneration. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-021-00456-1
Vancouver
Chen Y, Dang M, Zhang Z. Brain mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of symptom-general and -specific lesion patterns. Molecular neurodegeneration. 2021. doi:10.1186/s13024-021-00456-1. PMID: 34099005.
BibTeX
@article{chen2021-34099005,
author = {Chen, Y. and Dang, M. and Zhang, Z.},
title = {{Brain mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of symptom-general and -specific lesion patterns}},
journal = {Molecular neurodegeneration},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1186/s13024-021-00456-1},
pmid = {34099005},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-021-00456-1}
}
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Key findings
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are associated with accelerated cognitive impairment and earlier deaths.
- Generally, the anterior cingulate cortex is a commonly damaged region across all symptoms, and the prefrontal cortex, especially the orbitofrontal cortex, is also a critical region associated with most NPSs.
Why it matters
This review describes which brain regions are damaged in people with Alzheimer's disease who have neuropsychiatric symptoms, and notes that most of these symptoms appear in the preclinical or mild cognitive impairment stage. It is a review of brain lesion patterns and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Molecular neurodegeneration) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Molecular Neurodegeneration: journal h-index 164 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| 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 | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 223 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 31.9 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.1× 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 | 3 / 4 | Cited 148 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Zhanjun Zhang: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Beijing Normal University: institution h-index 591 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34099005) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00456-1
- PubMed: 34099005
- Original source →
- Free full text: Molecular Neurodegeneration →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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