Home › Research › Inflammation and the immune system
Insight into cerebral microvessel endothelial regulation of cognitive impairment: A systematic review of the causes and consequences
Liu C, Chen X, Yang S, Wang X, Sun P, Wang J, Zhu G.. Experimental neurology, 2024-12-13
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Research on cognitive impairment (CI) has increasingly focused on the central nervous system, identifying numerous neuronal targets and circuits of relevance for CI pathogenesis and treatment. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) form a barrier between the peripheral and central nervous systems, constituting the primary component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and playing a vital role in maintaining neural homeostasis. Stemming from the recognition of the close link between vascular dysfunction and CI, in recent years intense research has been devoted to characterize the pathological changes and molecular mechanisms underlying BMEC dysfunction both during normal aging and in disorders of cognition such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In this review, keywords such as "dementia", "cognitive impairment", and "endothelium" were used to search PubMed and Web of Science. Based on the literature thus retrieved, we first review some common triggers of CI, i.e., amyloid beta and tau deposition, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, hyperglycemia, viral infections, and neuroinflammation, and describe the specific mechanisms responsible for endothelial damage. Second, we review molecular aspects of endothelial damage leading to BBB disruption, neuronal injury, and myelin degeneration, which are crucial events underlying CI. Finally, we summarize the potential targets of endothelial damage in the development of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and physiological aging. A thorough understanding of the induction mechanism and potential outcomes of microvascular endothelial damage is of great significance for the study of CI, to guide both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for its prevention and treatment.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Liu, C., Chen, X., Yang, S., Wang, X., Sun, P., Wang, J., et al. (2025). Insight into cerebral microvessel endothelial regulation of cognitive impairment: A systematic review of the causes and consequences. Experimental neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115116
Vancouver
Liu C, Chen X, Yang S, Wang X, Sun P, Wang J, et al. Insight into cerebral microvessel endothelial regulation of cognitive impairment: A systematic review of the causes and consequences. Experimental neurology. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115116. PMID: 39675515.
BibTeX
@article{liu2025-39675515,
author = {Liu, C. and Chen, X. and Yang, S. and Wang, X. and Sun, P. and Wang, J. and Zhu, G.},
title = {{Insight into cerebral microvessel endothelial regulation of cognitive impairment: A systematic review of the causes and consequences}},
journal = {Experimental neurology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115116},
pmid = {39675515},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.115116}
}
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 7 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.
Key findings
- Finally, we summarize the potential targets of endothelial damage in the development of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and physiological aging.
Why it matters
This review looks at how damage to the cells lining the brain's small blood vessels, which form the blood-brain barrier, contributes to cognitive impairment. It covers triggers such as amyloid beta and tau build-up, reduced blood flow, high blood sugar, viral infections and inflammation, and how vessel damage leads to barrier leaks, nerve cell injury and loss of myelin. The authors present these vessel cells as possible targets for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, but the review does not test any treatment.
Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 48 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Experimental neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Experimental Neurology: journal h-index 271 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× 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 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Guoqi Zhu holds only 8 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine: institution h-index 140 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter 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 39675515) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 46 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 48 out of 100. |
| Total | 48 / 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.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Inflammation and the immune system
Also tagged “small”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “small”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.