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Relation between subcortical grey matter atrophy and conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease
Yi HA, Möller C, Dieleman N, Bouwman FH, Barkhof F, Scheltens P, van der Flier WM, Vrenken H.. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2015-04-22
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective To investigate whether subcortical grey matter atrophy predicts progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to compare subcortical volumes between AD, MCI and controls. To assess the correlation between subcortical grey matter volumes and severity of cognitive impairment. Methods We included 773 participants with three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI at 3 T, made up of 181 controls, who had subjective memory symptoms with normal cognition, 201 MCIs and 391 AD. During follow-up (2.0 ± 0.9 years), 35 MCIs converted to AD (progressive MCI) and 160 MCIs remained stable (stable MCI). We segmented volumes of six subcortical structures of the amygdala, thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, globus pallidus and nucleus accumbens, and of the hippocampus, using FMRIBs integrated registration and segmentation tool. Results Analysis of variances, adjusted for sex and age, showed that all structures, except the globus pallidus, were smaller in AD than in controls. In addition, the amygdala, thalamus, putamen, nucleus accumbens and hippocampus were smaller in MCIs than in controls. Across groups, all subcortical greymatter volumes, except the globus pallidus, showed a positive correlation with cognitive function, as measured by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (0.16 Conclusions In addition to the hippocampus, the nucleus accumbens volume loss was also associated with increased risk of progression from MCI to AD. Furthermore, volume loss of subcortical grey matter structures was associated with severity of cognitive impairment.
Key findings
- Results Analysis of variances, adjusted for sex and age, showed that all structures, except the globus pallidus, were smaller in AD than in controls.
- Across groups, all subcortical greymatter volumes, except the globus pallidus, showed a positive correlation with cognitive function, as measured by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (0.16<r<0.28, all p<0.05).
- Furthermore, volume loss of subcortical grey matter structures was associated with severity of cognitive impairment.
Why it matters
In 773 participants, loss of subcortical grey matter volume, including the nucleus accumbens in addition to the hippocampus, was associated with conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. This supports using brain imaging to identify those at higher risk, but no treatment was tested.
Study details
- Participants773
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / 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 | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 773 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 130 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 10.8 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Hugo Vrenken: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University Medical Center Utrecht: institution h-index 1,076 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25904810) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2014-309105
- PubMed: 25904810
- Original source →
- Free full text: KUMeL Repository (Keimyung University) →
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 8 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
Yi, H. A., Möller, C., Dieleman, N., Bouwman, F. H., Barkhof, F., Scheltens, P., et al. (2016). Relation between subcortical grey matter atrophy and conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2014-309105
Vancouver
Yi HA, Möller C, Dieleman N, Bouwman FH, Barkhof F, Scheltens P, et al. Relation between subcortical grey matter atrophy and conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 2016. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2014-309105. PMID: 25904810.
BibTeX
@article{yi2016-25904810,
author = {Yi, H. A. and Möller, C. and Dieleman, N. and Bouwman, F. H. and Barkhof, F. and Scheltens, P. and van der Flier, W. M. and Vrenken, H.},
title = {{Relation between subcortical grey matter atrophy and conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1136/jnnp-2014-309105},
pmid = {25904810},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2014-309105}
}
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