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Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging analysis of early mild cognitive impairment
Shuai Xu, Yingao Fan, Chenglu Mao, Zheqi Hu, Zhiyuan Yang, Longjie Qu, Yun Xu, Linjie Yu et al.. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease, 2025-03-03
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
BackgroundEarly mild cognitive impairment (EMCI) represents a prodromal stage of dementia, and early detection is crucial for delaying dementia progression. However, accurately identifying its neuroimaging features remains challenging.ObjectiveTo comprehensively evaluate structural and functional neuroimaging changes in EMCI using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.MethodsOne hundred and eleven participants were included from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI): 36 with cognitively normal (CN), 30 with EMCI, 32 with late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and 13 with Alzheimer's disease (AD). FreeSurfer software was employed to segment hippocampal and amygdala subregions. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity were processed using Data Processing & Analysis for Brain Imaging toolbox. Graph Theoretical Network Analysis toolbox was utilized to evaluate global functional network.ResultsThe volume of most hippocampal and amygdala subregions was decreased in AD group than those of EMCI group in structural MRI. Significant differences were found between EMCI and AD group in fALFF (right insula) and ReHo (bilateral caudate regions). EMCI group exhibited stronger functional connectivity between left hippocampus and right inferior temporal gyrus (compared to CN), left inferior temporal gyrus (compared to LMCI), and cerebellum crus 8 (compared to AD). EMCI group exhibited stronger connectivity between right hippocampus and left anterior cingulate gyrus compared to AD. Network metrics showed no significant differences among these groups, but all exhibited small-world properties.ConclusionsMultimodal MRI analysis revealed the neuroimaging characteristics of EMCI and promoted the understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuroimaging changes in EMCI.
Key findings
- Significant differences were found between EMCI and AD group in fALFF (right insula) and ReHo (bilateral caudate regions).
- EMCI group exhibited stronger functional connectivity between left hippocampus and right inferior temporal gyrus (compared to CN), left inferior temporal gyrus (compared to LMCI), and cerebellum crus 8 (compared to AD).
- EMCI group exhibited stronger connectivity between right hippocampus and left anterior cingulate gyrus compared to AD.
- Network metrics showed no significant differences among these groups, but all exhibited small-world properties.ConclusionsMultimodal MRI analysis revealed the neuroimaging characteristics of EMCI and promoted the understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuroimaging changes in EMCI.
Why it matters
This study compared structural and functional brain imaging features across cognitively normal, early mild cognitive impairment, late mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease groups. It describes imaging differences only and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 36 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 38 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer s Disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.1× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Nanjing University: institution h-index 850 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40033775) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 36 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 36 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 38 out of 100. |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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
Xu, S., Fan, Y., Mao, C., Hu, Z., Yang, Z., Qu, L., et al. (2025). Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging analysis of early mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877251321187
Vancouver
Xu S, Fan Y, Mao C, Hu Z, Yang Z, Qu L, et al. Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging analysis of early mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. 2025. doi:10.1177/13872877251321187. PMID: 40033775.
BibTeX
@article{xu2025-40033775,
author = {Xu, Shuai and Fan, Yingao and Mao, Chenglu and Hu, Zheqi and Yang, Zhiyuan and Qu, Longjie and Xu, Yun and Yu, Linjie and others},
title = {{Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging analysis of early mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1177/13872877251321187},
pmid = {40033775},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877251321187}
}
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