Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: emerging concepts
Yamada M.. Journal of stroke, 2015-01-30
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) involves cerebrovascular amyloid deposition and is classified into several types according to the amyloid protein involved. Of these, sporadic amyloid β-protein (Aβ)-type CAA is most commonly found in older individuals and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebrovascular Aβ deposits accompany functional and pathological changes in cerebral blood vessels (CAA-associated vasculopathies). CAA-associated vasculopathies lead to development of hemorrhagic lesions [lobar intracerebral macrohemorrhage, cortical microhemorrhage, and cortical superficial siderosis (cSS)/focal convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)], ischemic lesions (cortical infarction and ischemic changes of the white matter), and encephalopathies that include subacute leukoencephalopathy caused by CAA-associated inflammation/angiitis. Thus, CAA is related to dementia, stroke, and encephalopathies. Recent advances in diagnostic procedures, particularly neuroimaging, have enabled us to establish a clinical diagnosis of CAA without brain biopsies. Sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods, such as gradient-echo T2(*) imaging and susceptibility-weighted imaging, are useful for detecting cortical microhemorrhages and cSS. Amyloid imaging with amyloid-binding positron emission tomography (PET) ligands, such as Pittsburgh Compound B, can detect CAA, although they cannot discriminate vascular from parenchymal amyloid deposits. In addition, cerebrospinal fluid markers may be useful, including levels of Aβ40 for CAA and anti-Aβ antibody for CAA-related inflammation. Moreover, cSS is closely associated with transient focal neurological episodes (TFNE). CAA-related inflammation/angiitis shares pathophysiology with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) induced by Aβ immunotherapies in AD patients. This article reviews CAA and CAA-related disorders with respect to their epidemiology, pathology, pathophysiology, clinical features, biomarkers, diagnosis, treatment, risk factors, and future perspectives.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Yamada, M. (2015). Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: emerging concepts. Journal of stroke. https://doi.org/10.5853/jos.2015.17.1.17
Vancouver
Yamada M. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: emerging concepts. Journal of stroke. 2015. doi:10.5853/jos.2015.17.1.17. PMID: 25692104.
BibTeX
@article{yamada2015-25692104,
author = {Yamada, M.},
title = {{Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: emerging concepts}},
journal = {Journal of stroke},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.5853/jos.2015.17.1.17},
pmid = {25692104},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5853/jos.2015.17.1.17}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Moreover, cSS is closely associated with transient focal neurological episodes (TFNE).
Why it matters
This 2015 review explains that cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), where amyloid builds up in the brain's blood vessels, is most commonly found in older people and in people with Alzheimer's disease, and is linked to bleeding in the brain, stroke-like damage, dementia and inflammatory brain disease. It says sensitive MRI scans can detect tiny cortical bleeds and surface iron deposits (cortical superficial siderosis), which it reports are closely associated with transient focal neurological episodes. Amyloid PET scans can detect CAA but, as the review notes, cannot tell amyloid in blood vessels apart from amyloid plaques in brain tissue.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of stroke) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Journal of Stroke: journal h-index 78 (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 | 2015 — within 20 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 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 367 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 28.2 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 19.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 71 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Masahito Yamada: h-index 73 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Kanazawa University: institution h-index 511 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25692104) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.5853/jos.2015.17.1.17
- PubMed: 25692104
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Stroke →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 16.
Later studies that cite this one
7 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also in Getting a diagnosis
141 studies in the library are filed under Getting a diagnosis with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Getting a diagnosis hub.