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Diffusion tensor imaging in early Alzheimer's disease
Naggara O, Oppenheim C, Rieu D, Raoux N, Rodrigo S, Dalla Barba G, Meder JF.. Psychiatry research, 2006-03-07
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Our aim was to investigate the extent of white matter tissue damage in patients with early Alzheimer disease (AD) using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI). Although AD pathology mainly affects cortical grey matter, previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies showed that changes also exist in the white matter (WM). However, the nature of AD-associated WM damage is still unclear. Conventional and DTI examinations (b=1000 s/mm(2), 25 directions) were obtained from 12 patients with early AD (Mini Mental State Examination [MMSE] score=27, Grober and Buschke test score=33.2, digit span score=5.6) and 12 sex- and age-matched volunteers. The right and left mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of several WM regions were pooled in each patient and control, and compared between the two groups. Volumes of the whole brain and degree of atrophy of the temporal lobe were compared between the two groups. In AD, MD was increased in the splenium of the corpus callosum and in the WM in the frontal and parietal lobes. FA was bilaterally decreased in the WM of the temporal lobe, the frontal lobe and the splenium compared with corresponding regions in controls. Values in other areas (occipital area, superior temporal area, cingulum, internal capsule, and genu of the corpus callosum) were not different between patients and controls. No correlations were found between the MMSE score and the anisotropy indices. Findings of DTI reveal abnormalities in the frontal and temporal WM in early AD patients. These changes are compatible with early temporal-to-frontal disconnections.
Key findings
- Although AD pathology mainly affects cortical grey matter, previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies showed that changes also exist in the white matter (WM).
- FA was bilaterally decreased in the WM of the temporal lobe, the frontal lobe and the splenium compared with corresponding regions in controls.
Why it matters
In 12 patients with early Alzheimer disease, diffusion tensor imaging showed increased diffusivity and decreased fractional anisotropy in several white matter regions compared with controls. This is a small imaging study of white matter damage and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants12
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 49 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychiatry research) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 12 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 211 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.6 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 15.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jean-François Méder: h-index 65 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16520023) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 47 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 47 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 49 out of 100. |
| Total | 49 / 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
Naggara, O., Oppenheim, C., Rieu, D., Raoux, N., Rodrigo, S., Dalla Barba, G., et al. (2006). Diffusion tensor imaging in early Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.01.005
Vancouver
Naggara O, Oppenheim C, Rieu D, Raoux N, Rodrigo S, Dalla Barba G, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging in early Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry research. 2006. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.01.005. PMID: 16520023.
BibTeX
@article{naggara2006-16520023,
author = {Naggara, O. and Oppenheim, C. and Rieu, D. and Raoux, N. and Rodrigo, S. and Dalla Barba, G. and Meder, J. F.},
title = {{Diffusion tensor imaging in early Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Psychiatry research},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.01.005},
pmid = {16520023},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.01.005}
}
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