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Longitudinal Dynamics of the Blood Proteome Within the Alzheimer Spectrum in Down Syndrome
Wagemann O, Nuebling GS, Sandkühler K, Wlasich E, Loosli SV, Prix C, Stockbauer AC, Marth L et al.. Neurology, 2026-09-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background and objectives Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of developing early Alzheimer disease. Results We included 59 adults with DS (46% female, median age = 32 years [interquartile range: 27-47]). Protein baseline levels were associated with cognitive decline over time while controlling for age in the whole cohort (all posterior distributions ≥ 94.75%). After correction for multiple comparisons, no longitudinal changes in protein markers exhibited a significant relationship when correlated with changes in cognitive subdomain performance within subcohorts. Discussion In DS, longitudinal characterization of all previously identified proteins revealed distinct trajectories over time and an association of baseline levels with future cognitive decline.
Key findings
- Background and objectives Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of developing early Alzheimer disease.
- Results We included 59 adults with DS (46% female, median age = 32 years [interquartile range: 27-47]).
- Protein baseline levels were associated with cognitive decline over time while controlling for age in the whole cohort (all posterior distributions ≥ 94.75%).
- After correction for multiple comparisons, no longitudinal changes in protein markers exhibited a significant relationship when correlated with changes in cognitive subdomain performance within subcohorts.
- Discussion In DS, longitudinal characterization of all previously identified proteins revealed distinct trajectories over time and an association of baseline levels with future cognitive decline.
Why it matters
In 59 adults with Down syndrome, baseline blood protein levels were associated with later cognitive decline, but after correction for multiple comparisons no longitudinal protein changes were significantly related to changes in cognitive subdomain performance. This is a small observational study and offers no treatment or prevention.
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants59
- Effect size99.12%; 94.75%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for 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 | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in 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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 59 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Johannes Levin: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: institution h-index 1,224 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42679336) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wagemann, O., Nuebling, G. S., Sandkühler, K., Wlasich, E., Loosli, S. V., Prix, C., et al. (2026). Longitudinal Dynamics of the Blood Proteome Within the Alzheimer Spectrum in Down Syndrome. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000218494
Vancouver
Wagemann O, Nuebling GS, Sandkühler K, Wlasich E, Loosli SV, Prix C, et al. Longitudinal Dynamics of the Blood Proteome Within the Alzheimer Spectrum in Down Syndrome. Neurology. 2026. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000218494. PMID: 42679336.
BibTeX
@article{wagemann2026-42679336,
author = {Wagemann, O. and Nuebling, G. S. and Sandkühler, K. and Wlasich, E. and Loosli, S. V. and Prix, C. and Stockbauer, A. C. and Marth, L. and others},
title = {{Longitudinal Dynamics of the Blood Proteome Within the Alzheimer Spectrum in Down Syndrome}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000218494},
pmid = {42679336},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000218494}
}
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