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37/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 37 out of 100. Vascular contributions

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Abstract Purpose White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are commonly observed in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, but their impact on the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4β2-nAChR) system remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between WMHs and gray matter nicotinic signaling, aiming to elucidate potential pathways contributing to neurodegeneration. Methods Multimodal imaging data using PET and MR imaging from 39 participants, including 19 healthy controls and 20 patients with Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD), were analyzed. WMHs were identified on T1-weighted MPRAGE and T2-weighted TSE MR images using advanced segmentation algorithms. Probabilistic fiber tracking was applied to determine WMH-connected gray matter. PET-based total distribution volume ( V T ) values of the α4β2-nAChR tracer (-)-[ 18 F]Flubatine were compared between WMH-affected and unaffected gray matter regions. Results WMH volumes were significantly correlated with age, Fazekas and MMSE scores, but no differences in absolute or relative WMH volumes were observed between healthy controls and patients with AD. PET-based V T values in WMH-connected gray matter showed no significant difference from contralateral unaffected regions, regardless of disease status or WMH burden. However, intra-individual differences in V T values correlated with Fazekas scores, presumably driven by patients with AD. Pathway-based analyses revealed decreased V T values in the medial cholinergic pathway of patients with AD but no significant differences in lateral pathways. Conclusion This study shows that WMHs do not significantly alter gray matter nicotinic signaling in directly connected regions. However, the results suggest subtle associations between WMH severity and specific cholinergic pathways, particularly in AD.

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APA 7th

Rullmann, M., Meyer, P., Schildan, A., Hoffmann, K., Sabri, O., & Tiepolt, S. (2025). Impact of white matter hyperintensities on α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding in the human brain. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07383-z

Vancouver

Rullmann M, Meyer P, Schildan A, Hoffmann K, Sabri O, Tiepolt S. Impact of white matter hyperintensities on α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding in the human brain. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. 2025. doi:10.1007/s00259-025-07383-z. PMID: 40494919.

BibTeX

@article{rullmann2025-40494919,
  author  = {Rullmann, Michael and Meyer, Philipp and Schildan, Andreas and Hoffmann, Karl‐Titus and Sabri, Osama and Tiepolt, Solveig},
  title   = {{Impact of white matter hyperintensities on α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding in the human brain}},
  journal = {European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1007/s00259-025-07383-z},
  pmid    = {40494919},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07383-z}
}

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How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record lists 39 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

Results WMH volumes were significantly correlated with age, Fazekas and MMSE scores, but no differences in absolute or relative WMH volumes were observed between healthy controls and patients with AD.
PET-based V T values in WMH-connected gray matter showed no significant difference from contralateral unaffected regions, regardless of disease status or WMH burden.
Pathway-based analyses revealed decreased V T values in the medial cholinergic pathway of patients with AD but no significant differences in lateral pathways.
Conclusion This study shows that WMHs do not significantly alter gray matter nicotinic signaling in directly connected regions.
However, the results suggest subtle associations between WMH severity and specific cholinergic pathways, particularly in AD.

Why it matters

In 39 participants, white matter hyperintensity volumes correlated with age and cognitive scores, but nicotinic acetylcholine receptor binding in WMH-connected gray matter did not differ from unaffected regions. The study found no significant effect of WMH on this receptor system, though it did find decreased binding in the medial cholinergic pathway of Alzheimer's patients.

Study details

Participants39
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 37/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging: journal h-index 224 (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	1 / 4	39 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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	1 / 6	Cited 0.3× 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	0 / 4	Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	1 / 4	Last-listed author Solveig Tiepolt: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Leipzig University: institution h-index 763 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40494919)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	37 / 100	—

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