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59/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 59 out of 100. Brain scans and imaging

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Background Neuroimaging in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD) generally shows medial temporal lobe atrophy and diminished glucose metabolism and cerebral blood flow in the posterior cingulate gyrus. However, it is unclear whether these abnormalities also impact the cingulum fibers, which connect the medial temporal lobe and the posterior cingulate regions. Objective To use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), by measuring fractional anisotropy (FA), to test 1) if MCI and AD are associated with DTI abnormalities in the parahippocampal and posterior cingulate regions of the cingulum fibers; 2) if white matter abnormalities extend to the neocortical fiber connections in the corpus callosum (CC); 3) if DTI improves accuracy to separate AD and MCI from healthy aging vs structural MRI. Methods DTI and structural MRI were preformed on 17 patients with AD, 17 with MCI, and 18 cognitively normal (CN) subjects. Results FA of the cingulum fibers was significantly reduced in MCI, and even more in AD. FA was also significantly reduced in the splenium of the CC in AD, but not in MCI. Adding DTI to hippocampal volume significantly improved the accuracy to separate MCI and AD from CN. Conclusion Assessment of the cingulum fibers using diffusion tensor imaging may aid early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.

Key findings

Objective To use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), by measuring fractional anisotropy (FA), to test 1) if MCI and AD are associated with DTI abnormalities in the parahippocampal and posterior cingulate regions of the cingulum fibers; 2) if white matter abnormalities extend to the neocortical fiber connections in the corpus callosum (CC); 3) if DTI improves accuracy to separate AD and MCI from healthy aging vs structural MRI.
Results FA of the cingulum fibers was significantly reduced in MCI, and even more in AD.
FA was also significantly reduced in the splenium of the CC in AD, but not in MCI.
Adding DTI to hippocampal volume significantly improved the accuracy to separate MCI and AD from CN.

Why it matters

Fractional anisotropy of the cingulum fibers was significantly reduced in mild cognitive impairment and even more in Alzheimer disease, and adding this measure to hippocampal volume improved separation of MCI and Alzheimer disease from normal aging. Assessment of cingulum fibers using diffusion tensor imaging may aid early diagnosis.

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Study details

Participants17
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 59/100

Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported 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	2007 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	17 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	6 / 7	Cited 513 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	24.4 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 25.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 18 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Michael Walter Weiner: h-index 171 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17200485)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	59 / 100	—

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APA 7th

Zhang, Y., Schuff, N., Jahng, G. H., Bayne, W., Mori, S., Schad, L., et al. (2007). Diffusion tensor imaging of cingulum fibers in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000250326.77323.01

Vancouver

Zhang Y, Schuff N, Jahng GH, Bayne W, Mori S, Schad L, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging of cingulum fibers in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2007. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000250326.77323.01. PMID: 17200485.

BibTeX

@article{zhang2007-17200485,
  author  = {Zhang, Y. and Schuff, N. and Jahng, G. H. and Bayne, W. and Mori, S. and Schad, L. and Mueller, S. and Du, A. T. and others},
  title   = {{Diffusion tensor imaging of cingulum fibers in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease}},
  journal = {Neurology},
  year    = {2007},
  doi     = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000250326.77323.01},
  pmid    = {17200485},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000250326.77323.01}
}

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