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Brain metabolism and brain disease: is metabolic deficiency the proximate cause of Alzheimer dementia?
Blass JP.. Journal of neuroscience research, 2001-12-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The potential of impairments in oxidative/energy metabolism to cause diseases of the brain had been proposed even before the major pathways of oxidative/energy metabolism were described. Deficiencies associated with disease are known in all the pathways of oxidative/energy metabolism and are associated with some of the most common disorders of the nervous system, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease. A common mechanism in these conditions appears to be a downward mitochondrial spiral, involving abnormalities in energy metabolism, calcium metabolism, and free radicals (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Blass, J. P. (2001). Brain metabolism and brain disease: is metabolic deficiency the proximate cause of Alzheimer dementia? Journal of neuroscience research. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.10087
Vancouver
Blass JP. Brain metabolism and brain disease: is metabolic deficiency the proximate cause of Alzheimer dementia? Journal of neuroscience research. 2001. doi:10.1002/jnr.10087. PMID: 11746411.
BibTeX
@article{blass2001-11746411,
author = {Blass, J. P.},
title = {{Brain metabolism and brain disease: is metabolic deficiency the proximate cause of Alzheimer dementia?}},
journal = {Journal of neuroscience research},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1002/jnr.10087},
pmid = {11746411},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.10087}
}
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Key findings
- Deficiencies associated with disease are known in all the pathways of oxidative/energy metabolism and are associated with some of the most common disorders of the nervous system, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease.
- A common mechanism in these conditions appears to be a downward mitochondrial spiral, involving abnormalities in energy metabolism, calcium metabolism, and free radicals (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species).
- In AD, the spiral appears to interact with abnormalities in the metabolism of the Alzheimer amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its Abeta fragment.
- Several lines of evidence indicate that the mitochondrial spiral may be a proximate cause of the clinical disabilities in AD.
Why it matters
This review proposes that impairments in oxidative and energy metabolism, through a downward mitochondrial spiral, may be a proximate cause of Alzheimer dementia. It is a hypothesis and does not report a tested treatment or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neuroscience research) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Neuroscience Research: journal h-index 222 (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 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 162 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.0 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.3× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author John P. Blass: h-index 65 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Weill Cornell Medicine: institution h-index 1,163 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11746411) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
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