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57/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 57 out of 100. Cognitive tests and assessment

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Background There are few validated fluid biomarkers in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a measure of astrogliosis, a known pathological process of FTD, but has yet to be explored as potential biomarker. Methods Plasma GFAP and neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentration were measured in 469 individuals enrolled in the Genetic FTD Initiative: 114 C9orf72 expansion carriers (74 presymptomatic, 40 symptomatic), 119 GRN mutation carriers (88 presymptomatic, 31 symptomatic), 53 MAPT mutation carriers (34 presymptomatic, 19 symptomatic) and 183 non-carrier controls.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

The record lists 469 participants. This study measured plasma GFAP and neurofilament light chain in people with genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia and found GFAP was raised in those with progranulin-associated disease. It is a biomarker study only and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for dementia.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

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

APA 7th

Heller, C., Foiani, M. S., Moore, K., Convery, R., Bocchetta, M., Neason, M., et al. (2020). Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein is raised in progranulin-associated frontotemporal dementia. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2019-321954

Vancouver

Heller C, Foiani MS, Moore K, Convery R, Bocchetta M, Neason M, et al. Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein is raised in progranulin-associated frontotemporal dementia. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 2020. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2019-321954. PMID: 31937580.

BibTeX

@article{heller2020-31937580,
  author  = {Heller, C. and Foiani, M. S. and Moore, K. and Convery, R. and Bocchetta, M. and Neason, M. and Cash, D. M. and Thomas, D. and others},
  title   = {{Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein is raised in progranulin-associated frontotemporal dementia}},
  journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
  year    = {2020},
  doi     = {10.1136/jnnp-2019-321954},
  pmid    = {31937580},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2019-321954}
}

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.

How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record lists 469 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a measure of astrogliosis, a known pathological process of FTD, but has yet to be explored as potential biomarker.
Methods Plasma GFAP and neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentration were measured in 469 individuals enrolled in the Genetic FTD Initiative: 114 C9orf72 expansion carriers (74 presymptomatic, 40 symptomatic), 119 GRN mutation carriers (88 presymptomatic, 31 symptomatic), 53 MAPT mutation carriers (34 presymptomatic, 19 symptomatic) and 183 non-carrier controls.
Biomarker measures were compared between groups using linear regression models adjusted for age and sex with family membership included as random effect.
Participants underwent standardised clinical assessments including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration-Clinical Dementia Rating scale and MRI.

Why it matters

This study measured plasma GFAP and neurofilament light chain in people with genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia and found GFAP was raised in those with progranulin-associated disease. It is a biomarker study only and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for dementia.

Study details

Participants469
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 57/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry: journal h-index 336 (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	2 / 5	2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	469 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 183 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	22.9 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 10.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	3 / 6	Cited by 22 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 65 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Jonathan Daniel Rohrer: h-index 91 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 35 institution(s) in 9 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31937580)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	57 / 100	—

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