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Hippocampal hypometabolism predicts cognitive decline from normal aging
Mosconi L, De Santi S, Li J, Tsui WH, Li Y, Boppana M, Laska E, Rusinek H et al.. Neurobiology of aging, 2007-01-11
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective This longitudinal study used FDG-PET imaging to predict and monitor cognitive decline from normal aging. Methods Seventy-seven 50-80-year-old normal (NL) elderly received longitudinal clinical examinations over 6-14 years (561 person-years, mean per person 7.2 years). All subjects had a baseline FDG-PET scan and 55 subjects received follow-up PET exams. Glucose metabolic rates (MRglc) in the hippocampus and cortical regions were examined as predictors and correlates of clinical decline. Results Eleven NL subjects developed dementia, including six with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 19 declined to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), on average 8 years after the baseline exam. The baseline hippocampal MRglc predicted decline from NL to AD (81% accuracy), including two post-mortem confirmed cases, from NL to other dementias (77% accuracy), and from NL to MCI (71% accuracy). Greater rates of hippocampal and cortical MRglc reductions were found in the declining as compared to the non-declining NL. Conclusions Hippocampal MRglc reductions using FDG-PET during normal aging predict cognitive decline years in advance of the clinical diagnosis. Future studies are needed to increase preclinical specificity in differentiating dementing disorders.
Key findings
- Results Eleven NL subjects developed dementia, including six with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 19 declined to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), on average 8 years after the baseline exam.
- Greater rates of hippocampal and cortical MRglc reductions were found in the declining as compared to the non-declining NL.
Why it matters
In 77 cognitively normal adults aged 50-80 followed for 6-14 years, lower hippocampal glucose use on a baseline FDG-PET scan predicted who later declined, on average 8 years later: to Alzheimer's disease with 81% accuracy (6 cases, 2 confirmed at autopsy), to other dementias with 77%, and to mild cognitive impairment with 71%. Because the same signal also flagged non-Alzheimer dementias, the authors say future studies must improve its specificity. This is an early-warning research finding about prediction, not a diagnostic test or a treatment.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants55
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 62/100
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 (Neurobiology of aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neurobiology of Aging: journal h-index 263 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 55 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 361 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.1 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 17 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Mony J. de Leon: h-index 127 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | New York University: institution h-index 1,612 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17222480) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.12.008
- PubMed: 17222480
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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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
Mosconi, L., De Santi, S., Li, J., Tsui, W. H., Li, Y., Boppana, M., et al. (2008). Hippocampal hypometabolism predicts cognitive decline from normal aging. Neurobiology of aging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.12.008
Vancouver
Mosconi L, De Santi S, Li J, Tsui WH, Li Y, Boppana M, et al. Hippocampal hypometabolism predicts cognitive decline from normal aging. Neurobiology of aging. 2008. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.12.008. PMID: 17222480.
BibTeX
@article{mosconi2008-17222480,
author = {Mosconi, L. and De Santi, S. and Li, J. and Tsui, W. H. and Li, Y. and Boppana, M. and Laska, E. and Rusinek, H. and others},
title = {{Hippocampal hypometabolism predicts cognitive decline from normal aging}},
journal = {Neurobiology of aging},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.12.008},
pmid = {17222480},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.12.008}
}
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