Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Among 809 participants (mean [SD] age at death, 91.3 [6.1] years; 538 [72%] female; mean [SD] follow-up, 7.2 [4.4] years), HS was present in 82 (10.1%) participants; 71 participants (9%) had both HS and LATE-NC, and in the scored subset, 43 participants (14%) had moderate and 35 participants (12%) had severe hippocampal neuronal loss. Higher MIND diet scores were associated with lower odds of HS (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.95) and HS with LATE-NC (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.97) after controlling for age at death, sex, education, total calories, APOE-ε4 status, AD, and vascular pathologies. In mediation analyses, the MIND diet was associated with less dementia at the time of death (β = -0.26; 95% CI, -0.36 to -0.15; P < .001), with an indirect association of 21% through HS (β = -0.05; 95% CI, -0.10 to -0.01; P = .02). A higher MIND diet score was associated with less hippocampal neuronal loss (P for trend = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of autopsied participants found that MIND diet adherence during follow-up was associated with a lower likelihood of HS, HS with LATE-NC, and hippocampal neuronal loss. The association of diet with dementia was partially mediated by its association with HS. These findings suggest that the MIND diet may reduce adverse brain health outcomes.
Key findings
- Among 809 participants (mean [SD] age at death, 91.3 [6.1] years; 538 [72%] female; mean [SD] follow-up, 7.2 [4.4] years), HS was present in 82 (10.1%) participants; 71 participants (9%) had both HS and LATE-NC, and in the scored subset, 43 participants (14%) had moderate and 35 participants (12%) had severe hippocampal neuronal loss.
- Higher MIND diet scores were associated with lower odds of HS (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.95) and HS with LATE-NC (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.97) after controlling for age at death, sex, education, total calories, APOE-ε4 status, AD, and vascular pathologies.
- In mediation analyses, the MIND diet was associated with less dementia at the time of death (β = -0.26; 95% CI, -0.36 to -0.15; P < .001), with an indirect association of 21% through HS (β = -0.05; 95% CI, -0.10 to -0.01; P = .02).
- A higher MIND diet score was associated with less hippocampal neuronal loss (P for trend = .01).
- Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of autopsied participants found that MIND diet adherence during follow-up was associated with a lower likelihood of HS, HS with LATE-NC, and hippocampal neuronal loss.
Why it matters
In an autopsy cohort of older adults, higher MIND diet scores were associated with lower odds of hippocampal sclerosis and less hippocampal neuronal loss, and the diet's association with dementia was partly mediated through hippocampal sclerosis. This is an observational cohort study, so it suggests a possible link but does not prove that the MIND diet prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants300
- Effect size10.1%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over 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 (JAMA Network Open) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | JAMA Network Open: journal h-index 235 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 300 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 11 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Julie A. Schneider: h-index 151 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Rush University Medical Center: institution h-index 670 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40773193) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26089
- PubMed: 40773193
- Original source →
- Free full text: JAMA Network Open →
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
Agarwal, P., Agrawal, S., Wagner, M., Cherian, L. J., Aggarwal, N. T., James, B. D., et al. (2025). MIND Diet and Hippocampal Sclerosis Among Community-Based Older Adults. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26089
Vancouver
Agarwal P, Agrawal S, Wagner M, Cherian LJ, Aggarwal NT, James BD, et al. MIND Diet and Hippocampal Sclerosis Among Community-Based Older Adults. JAMA Network Open. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26089. PMID: 40773193.
BibTeX
@article{agarwal2025-40773193,
author = {Agarwal, Puja and Agrawal, Sonal and Wagner, Maude and Cherian, Laurel J. and Aggarwal, Neelum T. and James, Bryan D. and Holland, Thomas Monroe and Bennett, David Alan and others},
title = {{MIND Diet and Hippocampal Sclerosis Among Community-Based Older Adults}},
journal = {JAMA Network Open},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26089},
pmid = {40773193},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26089}
}
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