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Microglial activation and tau burden predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease
Malpetti M, Kievit RA, Passamonti L, Jones PS, Tsvetanov KA, Rittman T, Mak E, Nicastro N et al.. Brain : a journal of neurology, 2020-05-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Across the whole-sample, the single-modality models indicated significant correlations between the rate of cognitive decline and the first component of each imaging modality. In patients, both stepwise backward elimination and Bayesian model selection revealed an optimal predictive model that included both components of 18F-AV-1451 and the first (i.e. anterior temporal) component for 11C-PK11195. We conclude that temporo-parietal tau pathology and anterior temporal neuroinflammation predict cognitive decline in patients with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease pathology. Our findings also support the strategy for targeting tau and neuroinflammation in disease-modifying therapy against Alzheimer's disease.
Key findings
- Across the whole-sample, the single-modality models indicated significant correlations between the rate of cognitive decline and the first component of each imaging modality.
- In patients, both stepwise backward elimination and Bayesian model selection revealed an optimal predictive model that included both components of 18F-AV-1451 and the first (i.e. anterior temporal) component for 11C-PK11195.
- We conclude that temporo-parietal tau pathology and anterior temporal neuroinflammation predict cognitive decline in patients with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease pathology.
- Our findings also support the strategy for targeting tau and neuroinflammation in disease-modifying therapy against Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
In this longitudinal imaging study, temporo-parietal tau pathology and anterior temporal neuroinflammation predicted cognitive decline in patients with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease pathology. The authors say the findings support the strategy of targeting tau and neuroinflammation in disease-modifying therapy against Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants12
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 69/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same 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 (Brain : a journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same 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 | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 12 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 191 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.9 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 17.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 9 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 83 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author James Benedict Rowe: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Cambridge: institution h-index 1,973 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32380523) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 69 / 100 | — |
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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
Malpetti, M., Kievit, R. A., Passamonti, L., Jones, P. S., Tsvetanov, K. A., Rittman, T., et al. (2020). Microglial activation and tau burden predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaa088
Vancouver
Malpetti M, Kievit RA, Passamonti L, Jones PS, Tsvetanov KA, Rittman T, et al. Microglial activation and tau burden predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Brain : a journal of neurology. 2020. doi:10.1093/brain/awaa088. PMID: 32380523.
BibTeX
@article{malpetti2020-32380523,
author = {Malpetti, M. and Kievit, R. A. and Passamonti, L. and Jones, P. S. and Tsvetanov, K. A. and Rittman, T. and Mak, E. and Nicastro, N. and others},
title = {{Microglial activation and tau burden predict cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awaa088},
pmid = {32380523},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaa088}
}
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