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Differential circadian rhythm disturbances in men with Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal degeneration
Harper DG, Stopa EG, McKee AC, Satlin A, Harlan PC, Goldstein R, Volicer L.. Archives of general psychiatry, 2001-04-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Caregiver exhaustion is a frequent consequence of sleep disturbance and rest-activity rhythm disruption that occurs in dementia. This exhaustion is the causal factor most frequently cited by caregivers in making the decision to institutionalize patients with dementia. Recent studies have implicated dysfunction of the circadian pacemaker in the etiology of these disturbances in dementia. Methods We studied the activity and core-body temperature rhythms in a cohort of 38 male patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer disease (AD) approximately 2 years before death. These patients were later given a confirmed diagnosis of AD (n = 23), frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) (n = 9), or diffuse Lewy body disease (DLB) with mixed AD or FTD pathologies (n = 6) after autopsy and neuropathological examination. Physiological rhythms of patients with AD and FTD were then compared with a group of normal, elderly men (n = 8) from the community. Results Alzheimer patients showed increased nocturnal activity and a significant phase-delay in their rhythms of core-body temperature and activity compared with patients with FTD and controls. The activity rhythm of FTD patients was highly fragmented and phase-advanced in comparison with controls and apparently uncoupled from the rhythm of core-body temperature. Conclusions Patients with AD and patients with FTD show different disturbances in their rhythms of activity and temperature compared with each other and with normal elderly patients.
Key findings
- Physiological rhythms of patients with AD and FTD were then compared with a group of normal, elderly men (n = 8) from the community.
- Results Alzheimer patients showed increased nocturnal activity and a significant phase-delay in their rhythms of core-body temperature and activity compared with patients with FTD and controls.
- Conclusions Patients with AD and patients with FTD show different disturbances in their rhythms of activity and temperature compared with each other and with normal elderly patients.
Why it matters
This small study of 38 men found that people with Alzheimer's disease and people with frontotemporal degeneration had different patterns of disruption in their daily activity and body temperature rhythms. The findings are based on a small sample and do not test any treatment.
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Study details
- Participants23
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 54/100
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 (Archives of general psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Archives of General Psychiatry: journal h-index 543 (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 | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 23 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 232 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.6 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× 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 | 2 / 4 | Cited 19 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Ladislav Volicer: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11296096) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Harper, D. G., Stopa, E. G., McKee, A. C., Satlin, A., Harlan, P. C., Goldstein, R., et al. (2001). Differential circadian rhythm disturbances in men with Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal degeneration. Archives of general psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.58.4.353
Vancouver
Harper DG, Stopa EG, McKee AC, Satlin A, Harlan PC, Goldstein R, et al. Differential circadian rhythm disturbances in men with Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal degeneration. Archives of general psychiatry. 2001. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.58.4.353. PMID: 11296096.
BibTeX
@article{harper2001-11296096,
author = {Harper, D. G. and Stopa, E. G. and McKee, A. C. and Satlin, A. and Harlan, P. C. and Goldstein, R. and Volicer, L.},
title = {{Differential circadian rhythm disturbances in men with Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal degeneration}},
journal = {Archives of general psychiatry},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1001/archpsyc.58.4.353},
pmid = {11296096},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.58.4.353}
}
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