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56/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 56 out of 100. Brain scans and imaging

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

MRI studies have provided valuable insights into the structure and function of neural networks, particularly in health and in classical neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer disease. However, such work is also highly relevant in other diseases of the CNS, including multiple sclerosis (MS). In this Review, we consider the effects of MS pathology on brain networks, as assessed using MRI, and how these changes to brain networks translate into clinical impairments. We also discuss how this knowledge can inform the targeting of MS treatments and the potential future directions for research in this area. Studying MS is challenging as its pathology involves neurodegenerative and focal inflammatory elements, both of which could disrupt neural networks. The disruption of white matter tracts in MS is reflected in changes in network efficiency, an increasingly random grey matter network topology, relative cortical disconnection, and both increases and decreases in connectivity centred around hubs such as the thalamus and the default mode network. The results of initial longitudinal studies suggest that these changes evolve rather than simply increase over time and are linked with clinical features. Studies have also identified a potential role for treatments that functionally modify neural networks as opposed to altering their structure.

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APA 7th

Chard, D. T., Alahmadi, A. A. S., Audoin, B., Charalambous, T., Enzinger, C., Hulst, H. E., et al. (2021). Mind the gap: from neurons to networks to outcomes in multiple sclerosis. Nature reviews. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-00439-8

Vancouver

Chard DT, Alahmadi AAS, Audoin B, Charalambous T, Enzinger C, Hulst HE, et al. Mind the gap: from neurons to networks to outcomes in multiple sclerosis. Nature reviews. Neurology. 2021. doi:10.1038/s41582-020-00439-8. PMID: 33437067.

BibTeX

@article{chard2021-33437067,
  author  = {Chard, D. T. and Alahmadi, A. A. S. and Audoin, B. and Charalambous, T. and Enzinger, C. and Hulst, H. E. and Rocca, M. A. and À, Rovira and others},
  title   = {{Mind the gap: from neurons to networks to outcomes in multiple sclerosis}},
  journal = {Nature reviews. Neurology},
  year    = {2021},
  doi     = {10.1038/s41582-020-00439-8},
  pmid    = {33437067},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-020-00439-8}
}

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Key findings

The results of initial longitudinal studies suggest that these changes evolve rather than simply increase over time and are linked with clinical features.

Why it matters

This review discusses how multiple sclerosis pathology affects brain networks as seen on MRI and how these changes relate to clinical impairment. It is about multiple sclerosis, not Alzheimer's disease, so it does not directly inform Alzheimer's treatment, cure, or prevention.

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Study details

Study designlongitudinal study
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 56/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for 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 (Nature reviews. Neurology)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Nature Reviews Neurology: journal h-index 269 (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	3 / 5	2021 — within 6 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)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	4 / 7	Cited 85 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	12.1 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 2.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 43 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Frederik Barkhof: h-index 184 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	3 / 3	Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: institution h-index 2,511 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 25 institution(s) in 7 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33437067)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	56 / 100	—

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