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Dynamics of Gray Matter Loss in Alzheimer's Disease
Paul M. Thompson, Kiralee M. Hayashi, Greig Ian de Zubicaray, Andrew L. Janke, Stephen Rose, James M. Semple, David H. Herman, Michael Hong, Stephanie S. Dittmer, David M. Doddrell, Arthur W. Toga. Journal of Neuroscience, 2003-02-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
We detected and mapped a dynamically spreading wave of gray matter loss in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The loss pattern was visualized in four dimensions as it spread over time from temporal and limbic cortices into frontal and occipital brain regions, sparing sensorimotor cortices. The shifting deficits were asymmetric (left hemisphere > right hemisphere) and correlated with progressively declining cognitive status (p < 0.0006). Novel brain mapping methods allowed us to visualize dynamic patterns of atrophy in 52 high-resolution magnetic resonance image scans of 12 patients with AD (age 68.4 +/- 1.9 years) and 14 elderly matched controls (age 71.4 +/- 0.9 years) scanned longitudinally (two scans; interscan interval 2.1 +/- 0.4 years). A cortical pattern matching technique encoded changes in brain shape and tissue distribution across subjects and time. Cortical atrophy occurred in a well defined sequence as the disease progressed, mirroring the sequence of neurofibrillary tangle accumulation observed in cross sections at autopsy. Advancing deficits were visualized as dynamic maps that change over time. Frontal regions, spared early in the disease, showed pervasive deficits later (>15% loss). The maps distinguished different phases of AD and differentiated AD from normal aging. Local gray matter loss rates (5.3 +/- 2.3% per year in AD v 0.9 +/- 0.9% per year in controls) were faster in the left hemisphere (p < 0.029) than the right. Transient barriers to disease progression appeared at limbic/frontal boundaries. This degenerative sequence, observed in vivo as it developed, provides the first quantitative, dynamic visualization of cortical atrophic rates in normal elderly populations and in those with dementia.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Not rated
Repeat MRI scans of 12 people with Alzheimer's and 14 matched controls showed a wave of gray matter loss spreading from temporal and limbic areas into frontal and occipital areas, alongside declining thinking. Gray matter was lost at 5.3% per year in Alzheimer's versus 0.9% per year in controls.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Thompson, P. M., Hayashi, K. M., de Zubicaray, G. I., Janke, A. L., Rose, S., Semple, J. M., et al. (2003). Dynamics of Gray Matter Loss in Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.23-03-00994.2003
Vancouver
Thompson PM, Hayashi KM, de Zubicaray GI, Janke AL, Rose S, Semple JM, et al. Dynamics of Gray Matter Loss in Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Neuroscience. 2003. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.23-03-00994.2003. PMID: 12574429.
BibTeX
@article{thompson2003-12574429,
author = {Thompson, Paul M. and Hayashi, Kiralee M. and de Zubicaray, Greig Ian and Janke, Andrew L. and Rose, Stephen and Semple, James M. and Herman, David H. and Hong, Michael and Dittmer, Stephanie S. and Doddrell, David M. and Toga, Arthur W.},
title = {{Dynamics of Gray Matter Loss in Alzheimer's Disease}},
journal = {Journal of Neuroscience},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1523/jneurosci.23-03-00994.2003},
pmid = {12574429},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.23-03-00994.2003}
}
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 11 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.
Why it matters
Repeat MRI scans of 12 people with Alzheimer's and 14 matched controls showed a wave of gray matter loss spreading from temporal and limbic areas into frontal and occipital areas, alongside declining thinking. Gray matter was lost at 5.3% per year in Alzheimer's versus 0.9% per year in controls.
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How this study scored 56/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on strength of evidence, so that was left out: it earned 53 of the 95 points we could judge it on, which is 56 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Journal of Neuroscience: journal h-index 651 (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 | — / 5 | No evidence rating recorded — left out of this score |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2003 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,139 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 45.6 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 25.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 98 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Arthur W. Toga: h-index 179 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, Los Angeles: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12574429) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 53 / 95 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 53 of the 95 points we could judge it on is 56 out of 100. |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-03-00994.2003
- PubMed: 12574429
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neuroscience →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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