Home › Research › Inflammation and the immune system
Microglia and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis
Streit WJ.. Journal of neuroscience research, 2004-07-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The most visible and, until very recently, the only hypothesis regarding the involvement of microglial cells in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis is centered around the notion that activated microglia are neurotoxin-producing immune effector cells actively involved in causing the neurodegeneration that is the cause for AD dementia. The concept of detrimental neuroinflammation has gained a strong foothold in the AD arena and is being expanded to other neurodegenerative diseases. This review takes a comprehensive and critical look at the overall evidence supporting the neuroinflammation hypothesis and points out some weaknesses.
Key findings
- The concept of detrimental neuroinflammation has gained a strong foothold in the AD arena and is being expanded to other neurodegenerative diseases.
- This review takes a comprehensive and critical look at the overall evidence supporting the neuroinflammation hypothesis and points out some weaknesses.
- The current work also reviews evidence for an alternative theory, the microglial dysfunction hypothesis, which, although eliminating some of the shortcomings, does not necessarily negate the amyloid/neuroinflammation theory.
- The microglial dysfunction theory offers a different perspective on the identity of activated microglia and their role in AD pathogenesis taking into account the most recent insights gained from studying basic microglial biology.
Why it matters
This review critically examines the evidence for the idea that detrimental neuroinflammation drives Alzheimer's disease and points out weaknesses in that hypothesis. It also considers an alternative microglial dysfunction hypothesis, but does not establish a treatment or cure.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
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 (Journal of neuroscience research) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Neuroscience Research: journal h-index 222 (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 | 2004 — 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 333 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.9 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 25 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Wolfgang J. Streit: h-index 68 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Florida: institution h-index 1,303 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15197750) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 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.
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Streit, W. J. (2004). Microglia and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Journal of neuroscience research. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.20093
Vancouver
Streit WJ. Microglia and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Journal of neuroscience research. 2004. doi:10.1002/jnr.20093. PMID: 15197750.
BibTeX
@article{streit2004-15197750,
author = {Streit, W. J.},
title = {{Microglia and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis}},
journal = {Journal of neuroscience research},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1002/jnr.20093},
pmid = {15197750},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.20093}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 20.
Later studies that cite this one
14 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.