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Divergent network connectivity changes in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Zhou J, Greicius MD, Gennatas ED, Growdon ME, Jang JY, Rabinovici GD, Kramer JH, Weiner M et al.. Brain : a journal of neurology, 2010-04-21
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Recently, we showed that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease cause atrophy within two major networks, an anterior 'Salience Network' (atrophied in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia) and a posterior 'Default Mode Network' (atrophied in Alzheimer's disease). Based on these results, we explored whether a combined index of Salience Network and Default Mode Network connectivity might discriminate between the three groups. Overall, the findings suggest that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease lead to divergent network connectivity patterns, consistent with known reciprocal network interactions and the strength and deficit profiles of the two disorders.
Key findings
- Recently, we showed that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease cause atrophy within two major networks, an anterior 'Salience Network' (atrophied in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia) and a posterior 'Default Mode Network' (atrophied in Alzheimer's disease).
- Based on these results, we explored whether a combined index of Salience Network and Default Mode Network connectivity might discriminate between the three groups.
- Overall, the findings suggest that behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease lead to divergent network connectivity patterns, consistent with known reciprocal network interactions and the strength and deficit profiles of the two disorders.
Why it matters
This study explored whether combining measures of two brain networks — a front-of-brain "Salience Network" and a back-of-brain "Default Mode Network" — might help tell behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia apart from Alzheimer's disease. The authors report that their findings "suggest" the two diseases "lead to divergent network connectivity patterns", but this record gives no accuracy figures, so it should not be read as a validated diagnostic test. It does not address treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants12
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 64/100
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 (Brain : a journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (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 | 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 | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,020 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 56.7 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 37.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 36 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 145 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author William W. Seeley: h-index 126 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Stanford University: institution h-index 2,684 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20410145) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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
Zhou, J., Greicius, M. D., Gennatas, E. D., Growdon, M. E., Jang, J. Y., Rabinovici, G. D., et al. (2010). Divergent network connectivity changes in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awq075
Vancouver
Zhou J, Greicius MD, Gennatas ED, Growdon ME, Jang JY, Rabinovici GD, et al. Divergent network connectivity changes in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. 2010. doi:10.1093/brain/awq075. PMID: 20410145.
BibTeX
@article{zhou2010-20410145,
author = {Zhou, J. and Greicius, M. D. and Gennatas, E. D. and Growdon, M. E. and Jang, J. Y. and Rabinovici, G. D. and Kramer, J. H. and Weiner, M. and others},
title = {{Divergent network connectivity changes in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awq075},
pmid = {20410145},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awq075}
}
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Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
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