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40/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 40 out of 100. Brain scans and imaging

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

The white matter (WM) of the adult human neocortex contains the so-called "interstitial neurons". They are most numerous in the superficial WM underlying the cortical gyri, and decrease in density toward the deep WM. They are morphologically heterogeneous. A subgroup of interstitial neurons display pyramidal-cell like morphologies, characterized by a polarized dendritic tree with a dominant apical dendrite, and covered with a variable number of dendritic spines. In addition, a large contingent of interstitial neurons can be classified as interneurons based on their neurochemical profile as well as on morphological criteria. WM- interneurons have multipolar or bipolar shapes and express GABA and a variety of other neuronal markers, such as calbindin and calretinin, the extracellular matrix protein reelin, or neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, and nitric oxide synthase. The heterogeneity of interstitial neurons may be relevant for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease and schizophrenia. Interstitial neurons are most prominent in human brain, and only rudimentary in the brain of non-primate mammals. These evolutionary differences have precluded adequate experimental work on this cell population, which is usually considered as a relict of the subplate, a transient compartment proper of development and without a known function in the adult brain. The primate-specific prominence of the subplate in late fetal stages points to an important role in the establishment of interstitial neurons. Neurons in the adult WM may be actively involved in coordinating inter-areal connectivity and regulation of blood flow. Further studies in primates will be needed to elucidate the developmental history, adult components and activities of this large neuronal system.

Key findings

Interstitial neurons are most prominent in human brain, and only rudimentary in the brain of non-primate mammals.
These evolutionary differences have precluded adequate experimental work on this cell population, which is usually considered as a relict of the subplate, a transient compartment proper of development and without a known function in the adult brain.
The primate-specific prominence of the subplate in late fetal stages points to an important role in the establishment of interstitial neurons.
Neurons in the adult WM may be actively involved in coordinating inter-areal connectivity and regulation of blood flow.
Further studies in primates will be needed to elucidate the developmental history, adult components and activities of this large neuronal system.

Why it matters

This paper describes interstitial neurons in the white matter of the adult human cortex and notes their heterogeneity may be relevant to Alzheimer's disease. It is a descriptive anatomy paper with no experiments on Alzheimer's, so it offers no direct implications for treating, curing or preventing the disease.

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Study details

Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 40/100

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 and institution's track record, so those were left out: it earned 37 of the 93 points we could judge it on, which is 40 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in neuroanatomy)
Journal's citation record	1 / 4	Frontiers in Neuroanatomy: journal h-index 117 (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	2009 — within 20 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	5 / 7	Cited 137 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	7.2 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 3.9× 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	2 / 4	Cited 27 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	— / 4	OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author M. Luisa Suárez-Solá holds only 3 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score
Institution's track record	— / 3	No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score
Multi-centre collaboration	0 / 3	OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete)
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19543540)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	37 / 93	Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 93 points we could judge it on is 40 out of 100.
Total	40 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Suárez-Solá, M. L., González-Delgado, F. J., Pueyo-Morlans, M., Medina-Bolívar, O. C., Hernández-Acosta, N. C., González-Gómez, M., et al. (2009). Neurons in the white matter of the adult human neocortex. Frontiers in neuroanatomy. https://doi.org/10.3389/neuro.05.007.2009

Vancouver

Suárez-Solá ML, González-Delgado FJ, Pueyo-Morlans M, Medina-Bolívar OC, Hernández-Acosta NC, González-Gómez M, et al. Neurons in the white matter of the adult human neocortex. Frontiers in neuroanatomy. 2009. doi:10.3389/neuro.05.007.2009. PMID: 19543540.

BibTeX

@article{suarezsola2009-19543540,
  author  = {Suárez-Solá, M. L. and González-Delgado, F. J. and Pueyo-Morlans, M. and Medina-Bolívar, O. C. and Hernández-Acosta, N. C. and González-Gómez, M. and Meyer, G.},
  title   = {{Neurons in the white matter of the adult human neocortex}},
  journal = {Frontiers in neuroanatomy},
  year    = {2009},
  doi     = {10.3389/neuro.05.007.2009},
  pmid    = {19543540},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3389/neuro.05.007.2009}
}

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