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Brain structural alterations before mild cognitive impairment
Smith CD, Chebrolu H, Wekstein DR, Schmitt FA, Jicha GA, Cooper G, Markesbery WR.. Neurology, 2007-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To determine whether alterations of brain structure in normal aged individuals precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer disease (AD). Background Persons with MCI and AD demonstrate cortical volume losses vs asymptomatic aged individuals, particularly in the hippocampus, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex. It is unknown whether these losses or other volumetric changes are present, and to what degree, in cognitively normal individuals before the clinical diagnosis of MCI. Methods Structural MRI was performed on a cross-section of 136 longitudinally examined normal aged subjects. All subjects were cognitively normal at the time of their scan, but 23 later developed MCI, and 9 of these 23 went on to an AD diagnosis. Extracted volumes from voxel-based morphometric analysis were combined with clinical data to compare the 23 subjects who eventually developed MCI to 113 subjects who remained cognitively normal over an average follow-up of 5.4 years. Results Initially normal subjects who eventually developed MCI demonstrated decreased gray matter volumes in the anteromedial temporal lobes bilaterally and left angular gyrus while still cognitively normal. Conclusion Structural brain changes in anatomic areas involved in higher cognitive processes precede clinical signs and symptoms in longitudinally followed normal subjects destined to develop mild cognitive impairment.
Key findings
- Results Initially normal subjects who eventually developed MCI demonstrated decreased gray matter volumes in the anteromedial temporal lobes bilaterally and left angular gyrus while still cognitively normal.
Why it matters
In this study, initially normal older adults who later developed mild cognitive impairment already showed decreased gray matter volumes in the anteromedial temporal lobes and left angular gyrus while still cognitively normal. This suggests structural brain changes can precede clinical symptoms, but it does not show how to prevent them.
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Study details
- Participants23
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on institution's track record, so that was left out: it earned 50 of the 97 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 23 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 162 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 7.7 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author William R. Markesbery: h-index 124 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17438217) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 50 / 97 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 50 of the 97 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Smith, C. D., Chebrolu, H., Wekstein, D. R., Schmitt, F. A., Jicha, G. A., Cooper, G., et al. (2007). Brain structural alterations before mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000259542.54830.34
Vancouver
Smith CD, Chebrolu H, Wekstein DR, Schmitt FA, Jicha GA, Cooper G, et al. Brain structural alterations before mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2007. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000259542.54830.34. PMID: 17438217.
BibTeX
@article{smith2007-17438217,
author = {Smith, C. D. and Chebrolu, H. and Wekstein, D. R. and Schmitt, F. A. and Jicha, G. A. and Cooper, G. and Markesbery, W. R.},
title = {{Brain structural alterations before mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000259542.54830.34},
pmid = {17438217},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000259542.54830.34}
}
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