Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Delayed recall, hippocampal volume and Alzheimer neuropathology: findings from the Nun Study
Mortimer JA, Gosche KM, Riley KP, Markesbery WR, Snowdon DA.. Neurology, 2004-02-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective To examine the associations of hippocampal volume and the severity of neurofibrillary lesions determined at autopsy with delayed verbal recall performance evaluated an average of 1 year prior to death. Methods Hippocampal volumes were computed using postmortem brain MRI from the first 56 scanned participants of the Nun Study. Quantitative neuropathologic studies included lesion counts, Braak staging, and determination of whether neuropathologic criteria for Alzheimer disease (AD) were met. Multiple regression was used to assess the association of hippocampal volume and neuropathologic lesions with the number of words (out of 10) recalled on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Delayed Word Recall Test administered an average of 1 year prior to death. Results When entered separately, hippocampal volume, Braak stage, and the mean neurofibrillary tangle counts in the CA-1 region of the hippocampus and the subiculum were strongly associated with the number of words recalled after a delay, adjusting for age and education. When hippocampal volume was entered together with each neuropathologic index, only hippocampal volume retained a significant association with the delayed recall measure. The association between hippocampal volume and the number of words recalled was present in both demented and nondemented individuals as well as in those with and without substantial AD neurofibrillary pathology. Conclusions The association of neurofibrillary tangles with delayed verbal recall may reflect associated hippocampal atrophy.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mortimer, J. A., Gosche, K. M., Riley, K. P., Markesbery, W. R., & Snowdon, D. A. (2004). Delayed recall, hippocampal volume and Alzheimer neuropathology: findings from the Nun Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000106463.66966.65
Vancouver
Mortimer JA, Gosche KM, Riley KP, Markesbery WR, Snowdon DA. Delayed recall, hippocampal volume and Alzheimer neuropathology: findings from the Nun Study. Neurology. 2004. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000106463.66966.65. PMID: 14872025.
BibTeX
@article{mortimer2004-14872025,
author = {Mortimer, J. A. and Gosche, K. M. and Riley, K. P. and Markesbery, W. R. and Snowdon, D. A.},
title = {{Delayed recall, hippocampal volume and Alzheimer neuropathology: findings from the Nun Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000106463.66966.65},
pmid = {14872025},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000106463.66966.65}
}
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
- Results When entered separately, hippocampal volume, Braak stage, and the mean neurofibrillary tangle counts in the CA-1 region of the hippocampus and the subiculum were strongly associated with the number of words recalled after a delay, adjusting for age and education.
- When hippocampal volume was entered together with each neuropathologic index, only hippocampal volume retained a significant association with the delayed recall measure.
Why it matters
This study using Nun Study autopsy data found that hippocampal volume was strongly associated with delayed verbal recall performance about a year before death, and it remained significant even when neuropathologic measures were considered together. It helps explain how brain structure relates to memory, but it does not test a treatment, cure, or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a leading specialty 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 | 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 | 2004 — 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 90 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.8 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 11 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 12 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David A. Snowdon: h-index 51 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Kentucky: institution h-index 824 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 14872025) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
11 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “disorder”
492 studies in the library carry the topic tag “disorder”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 492 tagged studies.