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Decreased cyclin dependent kinase in brain of patients with Down syndrome
Bernert G, Nemethova M, Herrera-Marschitz M, Cairns N, Lubec G.. Neuroscience letters, 1996-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Plain-language summary
In order to study whether phosphokinases might be involved in the neuropathology of Down Syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer disease (AD), cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) activity and protein, phosphokinase C (PKC) and phosphokinase A (PKA) activities have been determined in frontal lobes of DS, AD and control brains. An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for CDK protein, and commercially available enzyme assays for CDK, PKC and PKA activities have been used. The major finding of our study was the remarkable and significant decrease of CDK protein and activity in DS brains in comparison to AD and controls. PKC and PKA were unaffected in both, AD and DS. As CDK controls cell division and differentiation, lowered CDK levels could reflect impaired proliferation and differentiation in DS.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
This study found a significant decrease in cyclin dependent kinase protein and activity in the brains of people with Down syndrome compared with Alzheimer's disease and control brains, while PKC and PKA were unaffected. This is laboratory brain tissue work and does not show a treatment or cure.
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
Bernert, G., Nemethova, M., Herrera-Marschitz, M., Cairns, N., & Lubec, G. (1996). Decreased cyclin dependent kinase in brain of patients with Down syndrome. Neuroscience letters. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(96)12988-8
Vancouver
Bernert G, Nemethova M, Herrera-Marschitz M, Cairns N, Lubec G. Decreased cyclin dependent kinase in brain of patients with Down syndrome. Neuroscience letters. 1996. doi:10.1016/0304-3940(96)12988-8. PMID: 8892394.
BibTeX
@article{bernert1996-8892394,
author = {Bernert, G. and Nemethova, M. and Herrera-Marschitz, M. and Cairns, N. and Lubec, G.},
title = {{Decreased cyclin dependent kinase in brain of patients with Down syndrome}},
journal = {Neuroscience letters},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1016/0304-3940(96)12988-8},
pmid = {8892394},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(96)12988-8}
}
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
- The major finding of our study was the remarkable and significant decrease of CDK protein and activity in DS brains in comparison to AD and controls.
Why it matters
This study found a significant decrease in cyclin dependent kinase protein and activity in the brains of people with Down syndrome compared with Alzheimer's disease and control brains, while PKC and PKA were unaffected. This is laboratory brain tissue work and does not show a treatment or cure.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
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 (Neuroscience letters) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neuroscience Letters: journal h-index 267 (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 | 1996 — 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 | 3 / 7 | Cited 17 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 32 year(s) since 1996 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.5× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gert Lübec: h-index 70 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 8892394) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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