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56/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 56 out of 100. Inflammation and the immune system

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Dementia is a rapidly rising global health crisis that silently disables families and ends lives and livelihoods around the world. To date, however, no early biomarkers or effective therapies exist. It is now clear that brain microglia are more than mere bystanders or amyloid phagocytes; they can act as governors of neuronal function and homeostasis in the adult brain.

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

APA 7th

Bartels, T., De Schepper, S., & Hong, S. (2020). Microglia modulate neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Science (New York, N.Y.). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb8587

Vancouver

Bartels T, De Schepper S, Hong S. Microglia modulate neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2020. doi:10.1126/science.abb8587. PMID: 33004513.

BibTeX

@article{bartels2020-33004513,
  author  = {Bartels, T. and De Schepper, S. and Hong, S.},
  title   = {{Microglia modulate neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases}},
  journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)},
  year    = {2020},
  doi     = {10.1126/science.abb8587},
  pmid    = {33004513},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb8587}
}

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How to read this study

Design: this is a narrative review. It summarises a field without a fixed search method, so it shows how authors read the evidence rather than measuring it. Use it to find the primary studies, not as a result in itself.
Size: the record gives no participant count. Look for one in the original before trusting a pattern.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

To date, however, no early biomarkers or effective therapies exist.
It is now clear that brain microglia are more than mere bystanders or amyloid phagocytes; they can act as governors of neuronal function and homeostasis in the adult brain.
Here, we highlight the fundamental role of microglia as tissue-resident macrophages in neuronal health.
Then, we suggest how chronic impairment in microglia-neuron cross-talk may secure the permanence of the failure of synaptic and neuronal function and health in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Why it matters

This review argues that microglia act as governors of neuronal function and that chronic impairment in microglia-neuron cross-talk may drive loss of synaptic and neuronal function. It notes that no early biomarkers or effective therapies exist and reports no treatment, cure or prevention.

Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 56/100

Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	10 / 10	Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Science (New York, N.Y.))
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Science: journal h-index 1,754 (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	2 / 5	2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 412 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	5 / 5	51.5 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020
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 11 other studies in this library
Still being cited	4 / 4	Cited 200 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Soyon Hong: h-index 29 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33004513)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	56 / 100	—

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