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Distinct cerebral perfusion patterns in FTLD and AD
Hu WT, Wang Z, Lee VM, Trojanowski JQ, Detre JA, Grossman M.. Neurology, 2010-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objective We examined the utility of distinguishing between patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer disease (AD) using quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging with arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MRI. Methods Forty-two patients with FTLD and 18 patients with AD, defined by autopsy or CSF-derived biomarkers for AD, and 23 matched controls were imaged with a continuous ASL method to quantify CBF maps covering the entire brain. Results Patients with FTLD and AD showed distinct patterns of hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion. Compared with controls, patients with FTLD showed significant hypoperfusion in regions of the frontal lobe bilaterally, and hyperperfusion in posterior cingulate and medial parietal/precuneus regions. Compared with controls, patients with AD showed significant hypoperfusion in the medial parietal/precuneus and lateral parietal cortex, and hyperperfusion in regions of the frontal lobe. Direct comparison of patient groups showed significant inferior, medial, and dorsolateral frontal hypoperfusion in FTLD, and significant hypoperfusion in bilateral lateral temporal-parietal and medial parietal/precuneus regions in AD. Conclusions Doubly dissociated areas of hypoperfusion in FTLD and AD are consistent with areas of significant histopathologic burden in these groups. ASL is a potentially useful biomarker for distinguishing patients with these neurodegenerative diseases.
Key findings
- Results Patients with FTLD and AD showed distinct patterns of hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion.
- Compared with controls, patients with FTLD showed significant hypoperfusion in regions of the frontal lobe bilaterally, and hyperperfusion in posterior cingulate and medial parietal/precuneus regions.
- Compared with controls, patients with AD showed significant hypoperfusion in the medial parietal/precuneus and lateral parietal cortex, and hyperperfusion in regions of the frontal lobe.
- Direct comparison of patient groups showed significant inferior, medial, and dorsolateral frontal hypoperfusion in FTLD, and significant hypoperfusion in bilateral lateral temporal-parietal and medial parietal/precuneus regions in AD.
- Conclusions Doubly dissociated areas of hypoperfusion in FTLD and AD are consistent with areas of significant histopathologic burden in these groups.
Why it matters
Patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration and those with Alzheimer disease showed different patterns of blood flow on brain imaging, with each group having reduced flow in different regions. This imaging approach may help distinguish the two conditions, but it does not treat or prevent either.
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Study details
- Participants18
- Evidence strengthLow
Limitations
The comparison groups were modest in size (42 FTLD and 18 AD patients), and the abstract does not report how accurately the perfusion patterns classified individual patients, versus just differing on average between groups.
How this study scored 54/100
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 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 18 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 184 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.2 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.4× 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 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Murray Grossman: h-index 119 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,859 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20819999) |
| 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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Hu, W. T., Wang, Z., Lee, V. M., Trojanowski, J. Q., Detre, J. A., & Grossman, M. (2010). Distinct cerebral perfusion patterns in FTLD and AD. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181f11e35
Vancouver
Hu WT, Wang Z, Lee VM, Trojanowski JQ, Detre JA, Grossman M. Distinct cerebral perfusion patterns in FTLD and AD. Neurology. 2010. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181f11e35. PMID: 20819999.
BibTeX
@article{hu2010-20819999,
author = {Hu, W. T. and Wang, Z. and Lee, V. M. and Trojanowski, J. Q. and Detre, J. A. and Grossman, M.},
title = {{Distinct cerebral perfusion patterns in FTLD and AD}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181f11e35},
pmid = {20819999},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181f11e35}
}
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