Longitudinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Changes in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease During Middle Age
Sutphen CL, Jasielec MS, Shah AR, Macy EM, Xiong C, Vlassenko AG, Benzinger TL, Stoops EE et al.. JAMA neurology, 2015-09-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Within-person changes in CSF biomarkers were also compared with changes in cortical PiB binding and progression to a CDR higher than 0 at follow-up. Results While there were no consistent longitudinal patterns in Aβ40 (P = .001-.97), longitudinal reductions in Aβ42 were observed in some individuals as early as early middle age (P ≤ .05) and low Aβ42 levels were associated with the development of cortical PiB-positive amyloid plaques (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.9352; 95% CI, 0.8895-0.9808), especially in mid middle age (P Conclusions and relevance Longitudinal CSF biomarker patterns consistent with AD are first detectable during early middle age and are associated with later amyloid positivity and cognitive decline.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Sutphen, C. L., Jasielec, M. S., Shah, A. R., Macy, E. M., Xiong, C., Vlassenko, A. G., et al. (2015). Longitudinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Changes in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease During Middle Age. JAMA neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1285
Vancouver
Sutphen CL, Jasielec MS, Shah AR, Macy EM, Xiong C, Vlassenko AG, et al. Longitudinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Changes in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease During Middle Age. JAMA neurology. 2015. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1285. PMID: 26147946.
BibTeX
@article{sutphen2015-26147946,
author = {Sutphen, C. L. and Jasielec, M. S. and Shah, A. R. and Macy, E. M. and Xiong, C. and Vlassenko, A. G. and Benzinger, T. L. and Stoops, E. E. and others},
title = {{Longitudinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Changes in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease During Middle Age}},
journal = {JAMA neurology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1285},
pmid = {26147946},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1285}
}
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Key findings
- Within-person changes in CSF biomarkers were also compared with changes in cortical PiB binding and progression to a CDR higher than 0 at follow-up.
- Results While there were no consistent longitudinal patterns in Aβ40 (P = .001-.97), longitudinal reductions in Aβ42 were observed in some individuals as early as early middle age (P ≤ .05) and low Aβ42 levels were associated with the development of cortical PiB-positive amyloid plaques (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.9352; 95% CI, 0.8895-0.9808), especially in mid middle age (P < .001).
Why it matters
This cohort study found that changes in a spinal fluid marker of amyloid begin as early as early middle age and are linked to later amyloid buildup and cognitive decline. It may help identify people at risk earlier, but it does not show that any treatment or prevention works.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants169
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Neurology: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 169 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 297 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 24.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 21 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Anne M. Fagan: h-index 122 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26147946) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1285
- PubMed: 26147946
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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