Home › Research › Lewy body dementia
Neurodegenerative tauopathies
Lee VM, Goedert M, Trojanowski JQ.. Annual review of neuroscience, 2001-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The defining neuropathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease are abundant filamentous tau lesions and deposits of fibrillar amyloid beta peptides. Prominent filamentous tau inclusions and brain degeneration in the absence of beta-amyloid deposits are also hallmarks of neurodegenerative tauopathies exemplified by sporadic corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Pick's disease, as well as by hereditary frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). Because multiple tau gene mutations are pathogenic for FTDP-17 and tau polymorphisms appear to be genetic risk factors for sporadic progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration, tau abnormalities are linked directly to the etiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease. Indeed, emerging data support the hypothesis that different tau gene mutations are pathogenic because they impair tau functions, promote tau fibrillization, or perturb tau gene splicing, thereby leading to formation of biochemically and structurally distinct aggregates of tau. Nonetheless, different members of the same kindred often exhibit diverse FTDP-17 syndromes, which suggests that additional genetic or epigenetic factors influence the phenotypic manifestations of neurodegenerative tauopathies. Although these and other hypothetical mechanisms of neurodegenerative tauopathies remain to be tested and validated, transgenic models are increasingly available for this purpose, and they will accelerate discovery of more effective therapies for neurodegenerative tauopathies and related disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.
Key findings
- Nonetheless, different members of the same kindred often exhibit diverse FTDP-17 syndromes, which suggests that additional genetic or epigenetic factors influence the phenotypic manifestations of neurodegenerative tauopathies.
Why it matters
This 2001 review groups corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease and the inherited FTDP-17 as "neurodegenerative tauopathies", diseases with tau tangles but no amyloid deposits, and argues that tau gene mutations in FTDP-17 and tau risk variants in PSP and CBD tie tau abnormalities "directly to the etiology and pathogenesis" of these diseases. It notes that relatives sharing an FTDP-17 mutation "often exhibit diverse" syndromes, which suggests other genetic or epigenetic factors also shape the illness, and it says the proposed mechanisms "remain to be tested and validated." It is a review with no new patient data. It does not show that tau causes Alzheimer's disease, and it reports no treatment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Annual review of neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Annual Review of Neuroscience: journal h-index 372 (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 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 | 7 / 7 | Cited 2,368 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 87.7 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 62 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 239 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author John Q. Trojanowski: h-index 255 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,859 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11520930) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lee, V. M., Goedert, M., & Trojanowski, J. Q. (2001). Neurodegenerative tauopathies. Annual review of neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.1121
Vancouver
Lee VM, Goedert M, Trojanowski JQ. Neurodegenerative tauopathies. Annual review of neuroscience. 2001. doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.1121. PMID: 11520930.
BibTeX
@article{lee2001-11520930,
author = {Lee, V. M. and Goedert, M. and Trojanowski, J. Q.},
title = {{Neurodegenerative tauopathies}},
journal = {Annual review of neuroscience},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.1121},
pmid = {11520930},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.1121}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 20.
Later studies that cite this one
62 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.