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CSF neurogranin or tau distinguish typical and atypical Alzheimer disease
Wellington H, Paterson RW, Suárez-González A, Poole T, Frost C, Sjöbom U, Slattery CF, Magdalinou NK et al.. Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2018-01-11
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Objective To assess whether high levels of cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin are found in atypical as well as typical Alzheimer's disease. Methods Immunoassays were used to measure cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin in 114 participants including healthy controls ( n = 27), biomarker-proven amnestic Alzheimer's disease ( n = 68), and the atypical visual variant of Alzheimer's ( n = 19) according to international criteria. CSF total-tau, Aβ42, and neurofilament light concentrations were investigated using commercially available assays. All affected individuals had T1-weighted volumetric MR images available for analysis of whole and regional brain volumes. Associations between neurogranin, brain volumes, total-tau, Aβ42, and neurofilament light were assessed. Results Median cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin concentrations were higher in typical and atypical Alzheimer's compared to controls ( P P = 0.005). Both neurogranin and total-tau concentrations, but not neurofilament light and Aβ42, were higher in typical Alzheimer's compared to atypical patients ( P = 0.004 and P = 0.03). There were significant differences in the left hippocampus and right and left superior parietal lobules in atypical patients, which were larger ( P = 0.03) and smaller ( P = 0.001 and P P P = 0.005). Interpretation These results show significant differences in neurogranin and total-tau between typical and atypical patients, which may relate to factors other than disease topography. The differential relationships between neurogranin, total-tau and neurofilament light in the Alzheimer's variants, provide evidence for mechanistically distinct and coupled markers of neurodegeneration.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
The record lists 27 participants. In 114 participants, cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin was higher in both typical and atypical Alzheimer's disease than in controls, and both neurogranin and total-tau were higher in typical than atypical cases. This is a biomarker comparison study and does not test any treatment.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Wellington, H., Paterson, R. W., Suárez-González, A., Poole, T., Frost, C., Sjöbom, U., et al. (2018). CSF neurogranin or tau distinguish typical and atypical Alzheimer disease. Annals of clinical and translational neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.518
Vancouver
Wellington H, Paterson RW, Suárez-González A, Poole T, Frost C, Sjöbom U, et al. CSF neurogranin or tau distinguish typical and atypical Alzheimer disease. Annals of clinical and translational neurology. 2018. doi:10.1002/acn3.518. PMID: 29468177.
BibTeX
@article{wellington2018-29468177,
author = {Wellington, H. and Paterson, R. W. and Suárez-González, A. and Poole, T. and Frost, C. and Sjöbom, U. and Slattery, C. F. and Magdalinou, N. K. and others},
title = {{CSF neurogranin or tau distinguish typical and atypical Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Annals of clinical and translational neurology},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1002/acn3.518},
pmid = {29468177},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.518}
}
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Median cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin concentrations were higher in typical and atypical Alzheimer's compared to controls ( P P = 0.005).
- Both neurogranin and total-tau concentrations, but not neurofilament light and Aβ42, were higher in typical Alzheimer's compared to atypical patients ( P = 0.004 and P = 0.03).
- There were significant differences in the left hippocampus and right and left superior parietal lobules in atypical patients, which were larger ( P = 0.03) and smaller ( P = 0.001 and P P P = 0.005).
- Interpretation These results show significant differences in neurogranin and total-tau between typical and atypical patients, which may relate to factors other than disease topography.
Why it matters
In 114 participants, cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin was higher in both typical and atypical Alzheimer's disease than in controls, and both neurogranin and total-tau were higher in typical than atypical cases. This is a biomarker comparison study and does not test any treatment.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Participants27
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Annals of clinical and translational neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology: journal h-index 97 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 27 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 34 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.4 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jonathan M. Schott: h-index 96 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29468177) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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