Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Pittsburgh compound B imaging and prediction of progression from cognitive normality to symptomatic Alzheimer disease
Morris JC, Roe CM, Grant EA, Head D, Storandt M, Goate AM, Fagan AM, Holtzman DM et al.. Archives of neurology, 2009-12-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective To determine whether preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD), as detected by the amyloid-imaging agent Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) in cognitively normal older adults, is associated with risk of symptomatic AD. Design A longitudinal cohort study of cognitively normal older adults assessed with positron emission tomography (PET) to determine the mean cortical binding potential for PiB and followed up with annual clinical and cognitive assessments for progression to very mild dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Setting The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri. Participants One hundred fifty-nine participants with a mean age of 71.5 years with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of 0 on a PET PiB scan at baseline. Main outcome measure Progression from CDR 0 to CDR 0.5 status (very mild dementia). Results Twenty-three participants progressed to CDR 0.5 at follow-up assessment (range, 1-5 assessments after PET PiB). Of these, 9 also were diagnosed with DAT. Higher mean cortical binding potential values for PiB (hazard ratio, 4.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-19.01; P = .02) and age (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.28; P = .03) predicted progression to CDR 0.5 DAT. The CDR 0.5 DAT group showed decline in 3 cognitive domains (episodic memory, semantic memory, and visuospatial performance) and had volume loss in the parahippocampal gyrus (includes entorhinal cortex) compared with individuals who remained at CDR 0. Conclusion Preclinical AD as detected by PET PiB is not benign, as it is associated with progression to symptomatic AD.
Key findings
- Objective To determine whether preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD), as detected by the amyloid-imaging agent Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) in cognitively normal older adults, is associated with risk of symptomatic AD.
- Results Twenty-three participants progressed to CDR 0.5 at follow-up assessment (range, 1-5 assessments after PET PiB).
- The CDR 0.5 DAT group showed decline in 3 cognitive domains (episodic memory, semantic memory, and visuospatial performance) and had volume loss in the parahippocampal gyrus (includes entorhinal cortex) compared with individuals who remained at CDR 0.
- Conclusion Preclinical AD as detected by PET PiB is not benign, as it is associated with progression to symptomatic AD.
Why it matters
In cognitively normal older adults, higher Pittsburgh Compound B binding in the brain predicted progression to very mild dementia of the Alzheimer type. This suggests amyloid imaging may help identify people at higher risk before symptoms appear, though it does not show that treating amyloid prevents dementia.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following 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 (Archives of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Archives of Neurology: journal h-index 353 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following 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 | 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 478 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 25.2 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 31.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 59 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 15 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Mark A. Mintun: h-index 131 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20008650) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2009.269
- PubMed: 20008650
- Original source →
- Free full text: Archives of Neurology →
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'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
Morris, J. C., Roe, C. M., Grant, E. A., Head, D., Storandt, M., Goate, A. M., et al. (2009). Pittsburgh compound B imaging and prediction of progression from cognitive normality to symptomatic Alzheimer disease. Archives of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2009.269
Vancouver
Morris JC, Roe CM, Grant EA, Head D, Storandt M, Goate AM, et al. Pittsburgh compound B imaging and prediction of progression from cognitive normality to symptomatic Alzheimer disease. Archives of neurology. 2009. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2009.269. PMID: 20008650.
BibTeX
@article{morris2009-20008650,
author = {Morris, J. C. and Roe, C. M. and Grant, E. A. and Head, D. and Storandt, M. and Goate, A. M. and Fagan, A. M. and Holtzman, D. M. and others},
title = {{Pittsburgh compound B imaging and prediction of progression from cognitive normality to symptomatic Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Archives of neurology},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1001/archneurol.2009.269},
pmid = {20008650},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/archneurol.2009.269}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 28.
Later studies that cite this one
59 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “classification”
835 studies in the library carry the topic tag “classification”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 835 tagged studies.