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Higher neighborhood deprivation is associated with accelerated disease progression in behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration
Boyle Rory, Dehghani Nadia, Emrani Sheina, Wadhwani Anil R, Matyi Melanie, Cousins Katheryn A Q, Rhodes Emma, Nelson Brian et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia. Behavior & socioeconomics of aging, 2025-06-04
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Neighborhood deprivation is associated with shorter survival, cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in aging and Alzheimer's disease. However, the association of neighborhood deprivation with disease progression in behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD) is unknown. We examined associations between tertiles of neighborhood deprivation, using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), and survival in 311 individuals clinically diagnosed with bvFTD from the Penn FTD Center. In a subset (n=161) with complete baseline data across measures of global cognition, executive function, and language, we examined the association of ADI with longitudinal change. Compared to adults living in the least deprived neighborhoods, those living in the most deprived neighborhoods showed shorter survival after symptom onset and faster decline in global cognition, executive and language functions, independent of genetic risk. Living in more deprived neighborhoods was associated with an accelerated disease course in bvFTD, highlighting an important socioeconomic disparity in disease prognosis.
Key findings
- Neighborhood deprivation is associated with shorter survival, cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in aging and Alzheimer's disease.
- Compared to adults living in the least deprived neighborhoods, those living in the most deprived neighborhoods showed shorter survival after symptom onset and faster decline in global cognition, executive and language functions, independent of genetic risk.
- Living in more deprived neighborhoods was associated with an accelerated disease course in bvFTD, highlighting an important socioeconomic disparity in disease prognosis.
Why it matters
People with behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration living in the most deprived neighborhoods had shorter survival and faster decline in thinking and language than those in the least deprived neighborhoods. This shows a socioeconomic disparity in how quickly this disease progresses, not a treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants161
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer's & dementia. Behavior & socioeconomics of aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging: journal h-index 4 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 161 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-17) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Lauren M. Massimo: h-index 27 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,853 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40463548) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.12.25327099
- PubMed: 40463548
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging →
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
Rory, B., Nadia, D., Sheina, E., Wadhwani Anil, R., Melanie, M., Cousins Katheryn A, Q., et al. (2025). Higher neighborhood deprivation is associated with accelerated disease progression in behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration. Alzheimer's & dementia. Behavior & socioeconomics of aging. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.12.25327099
Vancouver
Rory B, Nadia D, Sheina E, Wadhwani Anil R, Melanie M, Cousins Katheryn A Q, et al. Higher neighborhood deprivation is associated with accelerated disease progression in behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration. Alzheimer's & dementia. Behavior & socioeconomics of aging. 2025. doi:10.1101/2025.05.12.25327099. PMID: 40463548.
BibTeX
@article{rory2025-40463548,
author = {Rory, Boyle and Nadia, Dehghani and Sheina, Emrani and Wadhwani Anil, R. and Melanie, Matyi and Cousins Katheryn A, Q. and Emma, Rhodes and Brian, Nelson and others},
title = {{Higher neighborhood deprivation is associated with accelerated disease progression in behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia. Behavior \& socioeconomics of aging},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1101/2025.05.12.25327099},
pmid = {40463548},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.12.25327099}
}
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