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Identifying Distinct Spatiotemporal Patterns of Juxtacortical Microstructure in Alzheimer Disease Using Diffusion MRI–derived Free Water Fraction
Junfang Zhang, Xinyuan Yang, Yan Wang, Xiaomeng Xu, Yingting Zheng, Qi Huang, Wenjing Wang, Wei Xu et al.. Radiology, 2025-10-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Juxtacortical free water fraction, determined at diffusion MRI, was higher in participants with Alzheimer disease compared with cognitively normal controls and associated with amyloid-β, tau, and neurodegeneration biomarkers, revealing two distinct spatiotemporal progression patterns with different impacts on neuroanatomic signatures and cognitive performance.
Key findings
- Juxtacortical free water fraction, determined at diffusion MRI, was higher in participants with Alzheimer disease compared with cognitively normal controls and associated with amyloid-β, tau, and neurodegeneration biomarkers, revealing two distinct spatiotemporal progression patterns with different impacts on neuroanatomic signatures and cognitive performance.
Why it matters
This study found higher juxtacortical free water fraction in participants with Alzheimer disease compared with cognitively normal controls, associated with amyloid-β, tau, and neurodegeneration biomarkers. It identified two spatiotemporal progression patterns with different impacts on brain structure and cognitive performance, but does not test any treatment or cure.
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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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Radiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Radiology: journal h-index 431 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Binyin Li: h-index 22 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University: institution h-index 975 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41055495) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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
Zhang, J., Yang, X., Wang, Y., Xu, X., Zheng, Y., Huang, Q., et al. (2025). Identifying Distinct Spatiotemporal Patterns of Juxtacortical Microstructure in Alzheimer Disease Using Diffusion MRI–derived Free Water Fraction. Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.243423
Vancouver
Zhang J, Yang X, Wang Y, Xu X, Zheng Y, Huang Q, et al. Identifying Distinct Spatiotemporal Patterns of Juxtacortical Microstructure in Alzheimer Disease Using Diffusion MRI–derived Free Water Fraction. Radiology. 2025. doi:10.1148/radiol.243423. PMID: 41055495.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2025-41055495,
author = {Zhang, Junfang and Yang, Xinyuan and Wang, Yan and Xu, Xiaomeng and Zheng, Yingting and Huang, Qi and Wang, Wenjing and Xu, Wei and others},
title = {{Identifying Distinct Spatiotemporal Patterns of Juxtacortical Microstructure in Alzheimer Disease Using Diffusion MRI–derived Free Water Fraction}},
journal = {Radiology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1148/radiol.243423},
pmid = {41055495},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.243423}
}
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