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49/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 49 out of 100. Mild cognitive impairment

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

The aim of the study is to evaluate whether depression or apathy in patients with amnestic-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) increases the risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated 131 consecutive memory-clinic outpatients with newly-diagnosed amnestic-MCI (mean age 70.8, SD=6.5). Psychiatric disorders were diagnosed at baseline according to the criteria for depression and apathy in AD. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Follow-up examinations were conducted after six months and annually for four years. Neurologists diagnosed AD at follow-up using NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Cox proportional hazard models with 95% confidence intervals were used to test the hypothesis that apathy or depression increases the risk of developing AD. At baseline, 36.6% amnestic-MCI patients had a diagnosis of depression and 10.7% had apathy. Patients with both amnestic-MCI and an apathy diagnosis had an almost sevenfold risk of AD progression compared to amnestic-MCI patients without apathy (HR=6.9; 2.3-20.6), after adjustment for age, gender, education, baseline global cognitive and functional status, and depression. Furthermore, the risk of developing AD increased 30% per point on the NPI apathy item (HR=1.3; 1.1-1.4). There was no increased risk of developing AD in amnestic-MCI patients with either a diagnosis or symptoms of depression. In conclusion, apathy, but not depression, predicts which patients with amnestic-MCI will progress to AD. Thus, apathy has an important impact on amnestic-MCI and should be considered a mixed cognitive/psychiatric disturbance related to ongoing AD neurodegeneration.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Palmer, K., Di Iulio, F., Varsi, A. E., Gianni, W., Sancesario, G., Caltagirone, C., et al. (2010). Neuropsychiatric predictors of progression from amnestic-mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease: the role of depression and apathy. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2010-1352

Vancouver

Palmer K, Di Iulio F, Varsi AE, Gianni W, Sancesario G, Caltagirone C, et al. Neuropsychiatric predictors of progression from amnestic-mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease: the role of depression and apathy. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2010. doi:10.3233/jad-2010-1352. PMID: 20164594.

BibTeX

@article{palmer2010-20164594,
  author  = {Palmer, K. and Di Iulio, F. and Varsi, A. E. and Gianni, W. and Sancesario, G. and Caltagirone, C. and Spalletta, G.},
  title   = {{Neuropsychiatric predictors of progression from amnestic-mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease: the role of depression and apathy}},
  journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
  year    = {2010},
  doi     = {10.3233/jad-2010-1352},
  pmid    = {20164594},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-2010-1352}
}

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.

Key findings

Patients with both amnestic-MCI and an apathy diagnosis had an almost sevenfold risk of AD progression compared to amnestic-MCI patients without apathy (HR=6.9; 2.3-20.6), after adjustment for age, gender, education, baseline global cognitive and functional status, and depression.
There was no increased risk of developing AD in amnestic-MCI patients with either a diagnosis or symptoms of depression.
In conclusion, apathy, but not depression, predicts which patients with amnestic-MCI will progress to AD.

Why it matters

Among 131 people with newly diagnosed amnestic mild cognitive impairment, those with apathy had an almost sevenfold higher risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease, while depression was not associated with increased risk. The authors conclude that apathy, but not depression, predicts which patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment will progress.

Study details

Effect size36.6%; 10.7%; HR=6.9
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 49/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, 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 (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD)
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	1 / 5	2010 — 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	3 / 3	Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar)
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 292 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	3 / 5	16.2 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 11.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 21 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 31 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Gianfranco Spalletta: h-index 85 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Rome Tor Vergata: institution h-index 778 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20164594)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	49 / 100	—

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