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50/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 50 out of 100. Brain scans and imaging

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Objective Histologic studies show that the amygdala is affected by Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology, and its medial aspect is the most involved. We aimed to assess in vivo local structural differences in the amygdala of patients with AD using high-field MRI. Methods A total of 19 patients with AD (mean age 76, SD 6 years, mean Mini-Mental State Examination score [MMSE] 13, SD 4) and 19 healthy elderly controls (age 74, SD 5, MMSE 29, SD 1) were enrolled. The radial atrophy mapping technique was used to reconstruct the 3-dimensional surface of the amygdala. Maps of surface tissue loss in patients with AD vs controls were computed and statistically tested with permutation tests thresholded at p Results Both amygdalar volumes were significantly smaller in patients with AD (right 1,508 mm³, SD 418; left 1,646, SD 419) than controls (right 2,129 mm³, SD 316; left 2,077, SD 376; p Conclusions We found in vivo local structural differences in the amygdala of patients with AD. The nuclei involved have known connections to the hippocampus (BLVM, La) and olfactory system (medial nucleus) and with cholinergic pathways (central nucleus). This pattern is consistent with the known pathophysiology of neural systems affected by AD.

Key findings

Maps of surface tissue loss in patients with AD vs controls were computed and statistically tested with permutation tests thresholded at p < 0.05, to correct for multiple comparisons.

Why it matters

In 19 Alzheimer disease patients compared with 19 healthy controls, both amygdala volumes were significantly smaller and surface mapping showed local tissue loss in specific nuclei. This describes structural brain differences in Alzheimer's disease and does not offer a treatment, cure or prevention.

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Study details

Participants19
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 50/100

Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology)
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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	2011 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	19 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	4 / 7	Cited 88 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	5.2 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 4.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 2 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Giovanni Battista Frisoni: h-index 120 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele: institution h-index 731 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21339500)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	50 / 100	—

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Read the original

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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

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APA 7th

Cavedo, E., Boccardi, M., Ganzola, R., Canu, E., Beltramello, A., Caltagirone, C., et al. (2011). Local amygdala structural differences with 3T MRI in patients with Alzheimer disease. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820d62d9

Vancouver

Cavedo E, Boccardi M, Ganzola R, Canu E, Beltramello A, Caltagirone C, et al. Local amygdala structural differences with 3T MRI in patients with Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2011. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820d62d9. PMID: 21339500.

BibTeX

@article{cavedo2011-21339500,
  author  = {Cavedo, E. and Boccardi, M. and Ganzola, R. and Canu, E. and Beltramello, A. and Caltagirone, C. and Thompson, P. M. and Frisoni, G. B. and others},
  title   = {{Local amygdala structural differences with 3T MRI in patients with Alzheimer disease}},
  journal = {Neurology},
  year    = {2011},
  doi     = {10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820d62d9},
  pmid    = {21339500},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e31820d62d9}
}

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