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Lipid peroxidation in aging brain and Alzheimer's disease
Montine TJ, Neely MD, Quinn JF, Beal MF, Markesbery WR, Roberts LJ, Morrow JD.. Free radical biology & medicine, 2002-09-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Lipid peroxidation is one of the major outcomes of free radical-mediated injury that directly damages membranes and generates a number of secondary products, both from fission and endocyclization of oxygenated fatty acids that possess neurotoxic activity. Numerous studies have demonstrated increased lipid peroxidation in brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with age-matched controls. These data include quantification of fission and endocyclized products such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, acrolein, isoprostanes, and neuroprostanes. Immunohistochemical and biochemical studies have localized the majority of lipid peroxidation products to neurons. A few studies have consistently demonstrated increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of isoprostanes in AD patients early in the course of their dementia, and one study has suggested that CSF isoprostanes may improve the laboratory diagnostic accuracy for AD. Similar analyses of control individuals over a wide range of ages indicate that brain lipid peroxidation is not a significant feature of usual aging. Quantification of isoprostanes in plasma and urine of AD patients has yielded inconsistent results. These results indicate that brain lipid peroxidation is a potential therapeutic target in probable AD patients, and that CSF isoprostanes may aid in the assessment of antioxidant experimental therapeutics and the laboratory diagnosis of AD.
Key findings
- Numerous studies have demonstrated increased lipid peroxidation in brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with age-matched controls.
- A few studies have consistently demonstrated increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of isoprostanes in AD patients early in the course of their dementia, and one study has suggested that CSF isoprostanes may improve the laboratory diagnostic accuracy for AD.
- Similar analyses of control individuals over a wide range of ages indicate that brain lipid peroxidation is not a significant feature of usual aging.
- Quantification of isoprostanes in plasma and urine of AD patients has yielded inconsistent results.
- These results indicate that brain lipid peroxidation is a potential therapeutic target in probable AD patients, and that CSF isoprostanes may aid in the assessment of antioxidant experimental therapeutics and the laboratory diagnosis of AD.
Why it matters
This 2002 review pulls together studies showing more lipid peroxidation (oxidative damage to cell membranes, mostly in neurons) in Alzheimer's brains than in age-matched controls, and says this damage is "not a significant feature of usual aging." It points to cerebrospinal-fluid isoprostanes as a possible lab marker: raised early in the dementia in a few studies, with one study suggesting better diagnostic accuracy. It also reports that blood and urine measurements were inconsistent. It tests no treatment, so it does not show that antioxidants or any other therapy help.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
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 (Free radical biology & medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Free Radical Biology and Medicine: journal h-index 378 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 449 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 17.3 citations a year over 26 year(s) since 2002 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 39 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Jason D. Morrow: h-index 125 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Cornell University: institution h-index 1,649 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12208348) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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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 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.
APA 7th
Montine, T. J., Neely, M. D., Quinn, J. F., Beal, M. F., Markesbery, W. R., Roberts, L. J., et al. (2002). Lipid peroxidation in aging brain and Alzheimer's disease. Free radical biology & medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0891-5849(02)00807-9
Vancouver
Montine TJ, Neely MD, Quinn JF, Beal MF, Markesbery WR, Roberts LJ, et al. Lipid peroxidation in aging brain and Alzheimer's disease. Free radical biology & medicine. 2002. doi:10.1016/s0891-5849(02)00807-9. PMID: 12208348.
BibTeX
@article{montine2002-12208348,
author = {Montine, T. J. and Neely, M. D. and Quinn, J. F. and Beal, M. F. and Markesbery, W. R. and Roberts, L. J. and Morrow, J. D.},
title = {{Lipid peroxidation in aging brain and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Free radical biology \& medicine},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1016/s0891-5849(02)00807-9},
pmid = {12208348},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0891-5849(02)00807-9}
}
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