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Distinct Brain Functional Impairment Patterns Between Suspected Non-Alzheimer Disease Pathophysiology and Alzheimer's Disease: A Study Combining Static and Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Li Z, Li K, Luo X, Zeng Q, Zhao S, Zhang B, Zhang M, Chen Y et al.. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2020-11-23
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background : Suspected non-Alzheimer disease pathophysiology (SNAP) refers to the subjects who feature negative β-amyloid (Aβ) but positive tau or neurodegeneration biomarkers. It accounts for a quarter of the elderly population and is associated with cognitive decline. However, the underlying pathophysiology is still unclear.
Key findings
- It accounts for a quarter of the elderly population and is associated with cognitive decline.
- However, the underlying pathophysiology is still unclear.
- Methods : We included 111 non-demented subjects, then classified them into three groups using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ 1-42 (A), phosphorylated tau 181 (T), and total tau (N).
- Specifically, we identified the normal control (NC; subjects with normal biomarkers, A-T-N-), SNAP (subjects with normal amyloid but abnormal tau, A-T+), and predementia Alzheimer's disease (AD; subjects with abnormal amyloid and tau, A+T+).
Why it matters
This imaging study compared brain functional impairment patterns in people with suspected non-Alzheimer disease pathophysiology (negative amyloid but abnormal tau) versus Alzheimer's disease. It is a brain-imaging comparison, so it does not show a treatment, cure or prevention.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →
Study details
- Participants111
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
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 senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in aging neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: journal h-index 174 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 111 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 | 3 / 7 | Cited 17 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.1 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Zhejiang University: institution h-index 1,040 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33328953) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 41 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.550664
- PubMed: 33328953
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Li, Z., Li, K., Luo, X., Zeng, Q., Zhao, S., Zhang, B., et al. (2020). Distinct Brain Functional Impairment Patterns Between Suspected Non-Alzheimer Disease Pathophysiology and Alzheimer's Disease: A Study Combining Static and Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2020.550664
Vancouver
Li Z, Li K, Luo X, Zeng Q, Zhao S, Zhang B, et al. Distinct Brain Functional Impairment Patterns Between Suspected Non-Alzheimer Disease Pathophysiology and Alzheimer's Disease: A Study Combining Static and Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 2020. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2020.550664. PMID: 33328953.
BibTeX
@article{li2020-33328953,
author = {Li, Z. and Li, K. and Luo, X. and Zeng, Q. and Zhao, S. and Zhang, B. and Zhang, M. and Chen, Y. and others},
title = {{Distinct Brain Functional Impairment Patterns Between Suspected Non-Alzheimer Disease Pathophysiology and Alzheimer's Disease: A Study Combining Static and Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging}},
journal = {Frontiers in aging neuroscience},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2020.550664},
pmid = {33328953},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2020.550664}
}
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