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Education, intelligence, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Mendelian randomization study
Linjing Zhang, Lu Tang, Kailin Xia, Tao Huang, Dongsheng Fan. Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2020-08-18
Topic: Genetics and APOE
Genetically predisposition to longer educational attainment and harder math class taken were associated with significantly lower statistical odds ratio of ALS. For per year increase in education completed there was a 21% lower (95% confidence interval [CI] = 27-14%) in risk for ALS. For per 1-SD increase in the highest math class taken obtained there was a 19% lower (95% CI = 9-28%) in risk for ALS. Genetically predisposition to math ability, cognitive performance, and intelligence did not decrease the risk of ALS. This study provides genetic support for a causal association between higher educational attainment and a lower risk of ALS. The genes related to these phenotypes are involved in almost all aspects of neuron-to-neuron communication. ALS patients are occasionally accompanied by varying degrees of cognitive impairment. People with greater cognitive reserve may be better able to offset damages of degenerative brain changes associated with dementia or other brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or ALS.
Key findings
- Genetically predisposition to longer educational attainment and harder math class taken were associated with significantly lower statistical odds ratio of ALS.
- For per year increase in education completed there was a 21% lower (95% confidence interval [CI] = 27-14%) in risk for ALS.
- For per 1-SD increase in the highest math class taken obtained there was a 19% lower (95% CI = 9-28%) in risk for ALS.
- Genetically predisposition to math ability, cognitive performance, and intelligence did not decrease the risk of ALS.
- This study provides genetic support for a causal association between higher educational attainment and a lower risk of ALS.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 22 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 39 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Annals of clinical and translational neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32810387) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 22 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 22 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 39 out of 100. |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
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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
Zhang, L., Tang, L., Xia, K., Huang, T., & Fan, D. (2020). Education, intelligence, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Mendelian randomization study. Annals of clinical and translational neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51156
Vancouver
Zhang L, Tang L, Xia K, Huang T, Fan D. Education, intelligence, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Mendelian randomization study. Annals of clinical and translational neurology. 2020. doi:10.1002/acn3.51156. PMID: 32810387.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2020-32810387,
author = {Zhang, Linjing and Tang, Lu and Xia, Kailin and Huang, Tao and Fan, Dongsheng},
title = {{Education, intelligence, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A Mendelian randomization study}},
journal = {Annals of clinical and translational neurology},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1002/acn3.51156},
pmid = {32810387},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51156}
}
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