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Clinical Significance of the Plasma Biomarker Panels in Amyloid-Negative and Tau PET-Positive Amnestic Patients: Comparisons with Alzheimer's Disease and Unimpaired Cognitive Controls
Chang HI, Huang KL, Huang CG, Huang CW, Huang SH, Lin KJ, Chang CC.. International journal of molecular sciences, 2024-05-21
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether plasma biomarkers can help to diagnose, differentiate from Alzheimer disease (AD), and stage cognitive performance in patients with positron emission tomography (PET)-confirmed primary age-related tauopathy, termed tau-first cognitive proteinopathy (TCP) in this study. In this multi-center study, we enrolled 285 subjects with young-onset AD (YOAD; n = 55), late-onset AD (LOAD; n = 96), TCP ( n = 44), and cognitively unimpaired controls (CTL; n = 90) and analyzed plasma Aβ42/Aβ40, pTau181, neurofilament light (NFL), and total-tau using single-molecule assays. Amyloid and tau centiloids reflected pathological burden, and hippocampal volume reflected structural integrity.
Key findings
- In this multi-center study, we enrolled 285 subjects with young-onset AD (YOAD; n = 55), late-onset AD (LOAD; n = 96), TCP ( n = 44), and cognitively unimpaired controls (CTL; n = 90) and analyzed plasma Aβ42/Aβ40, pTau181, neurofilament light (NFL), and total-tau using single-molecule assays.
- Amyloid and tau centiloids reflected pathological burden, and hippocampal volume reflected structural integrity.
- Receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the curves (AUCs) were used to determine the diagnostic accuracy of plasma biomarkers compared to hippocampal volume and amyloid and tau centiloids.
- The Mini-Mental State Examination score (MMSE) served as the major cognitive outcome.
Why it matters
This multi-center study examined whether plasma biomarkers can help diagnose and stage patients with PET-confirmed primary age-related tauopathy, compared with young-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease and unimpaired controls. It is about diagnosis and staging, not treatment, cure or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Participants55
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International journal of molecular sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | International Journal of Molecular Sciences: journal h-index 426 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 55 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Chiung‐Chih Chang: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Chang Gung University: institution h-index 411 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38891795) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115607
- PubMed: 38891795
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Journal of Molecular Sciences →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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
Chang, H. I., Huang, K. L., Huang, C. G., Huang, C. W., Huang, S. H., Lin, K. J., et al. (2024). Clinical Significance of the Plasma Biomarker Panels in Amyloid-Negative and Tau PET-Positive Amnestic Patients: Comparisons with Alzheimer's Disease and Unimpaired Cognitive Controls. International journal of molecular sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115607
Vancouver
Chang HI, Huang KL, Huang CG, Huang CW, Huang SH, Lin KJ, et al. Clinical Significance of the Plasma Biomarker Panels in Amyloid-Negative and Tau PET-Positive Amnestic Patients: Comparisons with Alzheimer's Disease and Unimpaired Cognitive Controls. International journal of molecular sciences. 2024. doi:10.3390/ijms25115607. PMID: 38891795.
BibTeX
@article{chang2024-38891795,
author = {Chang, H. I. and Huang, K. L. and Huang, C. G. and Huang, C. W. and Huang, S. H. and Lin, K. J. and Chang, C. C.},
title = {{Clinical Significance of the Plasma Biomarker Panels in Amyloid-Negative and Tau PET-Positive Amnestic Patients: Comparisons with Alzheimer's Disease and Unimpaired Cognitive Controls}},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.3390/ijms25115607},
pmid = {38891795},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115607}
}
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