Mild cognitive impairment with suspected nonamyloid pathology (SNAP): Prediction of progression
Caroli A, Prestia A, Galluzzi S, Ferrari C, van der Flier WM, Ossenkoppele R, Van Berckel B, Barkhof F et al.. Neurology, 2015-01-07
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of progressive cognitive deterioration in patients with suspected non-Alzheimer disease pathology (SNAP) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods We measured markers of amyloid pathology (CSF β-amyloid 42) and neurodegeneration (hippocampal volume on MRI and cortical metabolism on [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET) in 201 patients with MCI clinically followed for up to 6 years to detect progressive cognitive deterioration. We categorized patients with MCI as A+/A- and N+/N- based on presence/absence of amyloid pathology and neurodegeneration. SNAPs were A-N+ cases. Results The proportion of progressors was 11% (8/41), 34% (14/41), 56% (19/34), and 71% (60/85) in A-N-, A+N-, SNAP, and A+N+, respectively; the proportion of APOE ε4 carriers was 29%, 70%, 31%, and 71%, respectively, with the SNAP group featuring a significantly different proportion than both A+N- and A+N+ groups (p ≤ 0.005). Hypometabolism in SNAP patients was comparable to A+N+ patients (p = 0.154), while hippocampal atrophy was more severe in SNAP patients (p = 0.002). Compared with A-N-, SNAP and A+N+ patients had significant risk of progressive cognitive deterioration (hazard ratio = 2.7 and 3.8, p = 0.016 and p Conclusions Our findings support the notion that patients with SNAP MCI feature a specific risk progression profile.
Key findings
- Results The proportion of progressors was 11% (8/41), 34% (14/41), 56% (19/34), and 71% (60/85) in A-N-, A+N-, SNAP, and A+N+, respectively; the proportion of APOE ε4 carriers was 29%, 70%, 31%, and 71%, respectively, with the SNAP group featuring a significantly different proportion than both A+N- and A+N+ groups (p ≤ 0.005).
- Compared with A-N-, SNAP and A+N+ patients had significant risk of progressive cognitive deterioration (hazard ratio = 2.7 and 3.8, p = 0.016 and p Conclusions Our findings support the notion that patients with SNAP MCI feature a specific risk progression profile.
Why it matters
Among people with mild cognitive impairment, those with suspected non-amyloid pathology (SNAP) had a higher risk of progressive cognitive decline than those with neither amyloid nor neurodegeneration markers. The SNAP group had more severe hippocampal atrophy than the group with both amyloid and neurodegeneration, and a different proportion of APOE ε4 carriers.
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Study details
- Participants201
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and 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 | 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 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 201 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 140 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 16 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author John C. Morris: h-index 209 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 9 institution(s) in 6 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25568301) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000001209
- PubMed: 25568301
- 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).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Caroli, A., Prestia, A., Galluzzi, S., Ferrari, C., van der Flier, W. M., Ossenkoppele, R., et al. (2015). Mild cognitive impairment with suspected nonamyloid pathology (SNAP): Prediction of progression. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001209
Vancouver
Caroli A, Prestia A, Galluzzi S, Ferrari C, van der Flier WM, Ossenkoppele R, et al. Mild cognitive impairment with suspected nonamyloid pathology (SNAP): Prediction of progression. Neurology. 2015. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000001209. PMID: 25568301.
BibTeX
@article{caroli2015-25568301,
author = {Caroli, A. and Prestia, A. and Galluzzi, S. and Ferrari, C. and van der Flier, W. M. and Ossenkoppele, R. and Van Berckel, B. and Barkhof, F. and others},
title = {{Mild cognitive impairment with suspected nonamyloid pathology (SNAP): Prediction of progression}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000001209},
pmid = {25568301},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001209}
}
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