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Functional correlates of TSH, fT3 and fT4 in Alzheimer disease: a F-18 FDG PET/CT study
Chiaravalloti A, Ursini F, Fiorentini A, Barbagallo G, Martorana A, Koch G, Tavolozza M, Schillaci O.. Scientific reports, 2017-07-24
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The present study was aimed to investigate the relationships between thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), freeT3 (fT3) and freeT4 (fT4) and brain glucose consumption as detectable by means of 2-deoxy-2-(F-18) fluoro-D-glucose (F-18 FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in a selected population with Alzheimer disease (AD). We evaluated 87 subjects (37 males and 50 females, mean age 70 (±6) years old) with AD. All of them were subjected to TSH, fT3 and fT4 assay and to cerebrospinal fluid amyloid (Aβ1-42) and tau [phosphorylated-tau (p-tau) and total-tau (t-tau)] assay prior PET/CT examination.
Key findings
- We evaluated 87 subjects (37 males and 50 females, mean age 70 (±6) years old) with AD.
- All of them were subjected to TSH, fT3 and fT4 assay and to cerebrospinal fluid amyloid (Aβ1-42) and tau [phosphorylated-tau (p-tau) and total-tau (t-tau)] assay prior PET/CT examination.
- Values for TSH, fT3 and fT4 were in the normal range.
- The relationships were evaluated by means of statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) using age, sex, MMSE, scholarship and CSF values of amyloid and tau as covariates.
Why it matters
In 87 people with Alzheimer's disease, thyroid hormone levels within the normal range were related to brain glucose use on PET scans. It explores a possible biological link but does not test any treatment or show that altering thyroid hormones helps.
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Study details
- Participants87
- 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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Scientific reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Scientific Reports: journal h-index 463 (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 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 87 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 25 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.3 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.4× 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 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Orazio Schillaci: h-index 46 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Rome Tor Vergata: institution h-index 778 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28740088) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06138-7
- PubMed: 28740088
- Original source →
- Free full text: Scientific Reports →
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 names 8 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.
APA 7th
Chiaravalloti, A., Ursini, F., Fiorentini, A., Barbagallo, G., Martorana, A., Koch, G., et al. (2017). Functional correlates of TSH, fT3 and fT4 in Alzheimer disease: a F-18 FDG PET/CT study. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06138-7
Vancouver
Chiaravalloti A, Ursini F, Fiorentini A, Barbagallo G, Martorana A, Koch G, et al. Functional correlates of TSH, fT3 and fT4 in Alzheimer disease: a F-18 FDG PET/CT study. Scientific reports. 2017. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06138-7. PMID: 28740088.
BibTeX
@article{chiaravalloti2017-28740088,
author = {Chiaravalloti, A. and Ursini, F. and Fiorentini, A. and Barbagallo, G. and Martorana, A. and Koch, G. and Tavolozza, M. and Schillaci, O.},
title = {{Functional correlates of TSH, fT3 and fT4 in Alzheimer disease: a F-18 FDG PET/CT study}},
journal = {Scientific reports},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-06138-7},
pmid = {28740088},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06138-7}
}
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