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Resting brain connectivity: changes during the progress of Alzheimer disease
Zhang HY, Wang SJ, Liu B, Ma ZL, Yang M, Zhang ZJ, Teng GJ.. Radiology, 2010-08-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Purpose To investigate alterations in functional connectivity in the resting brain networks in healthy elderly volunteers and patients with mild, moderate, or severe Alzheimer Disease (AD). Materials and methods This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained. Forty-six patients with AD and 16 healthy elderly volunteers were prospectively examined. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to detect alterations in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) functional connectivity through a comparison of the healthy control group with three separate AD groups-mild, moderate, and severe AD. A temporal correlation method was used to obtain PCC connectivity maps. Results Dissociated functional connectivity between the PCC and a set of regions, including the visual cortices bilaterally, the inferior temporal cortex, the hippocampus, and especially the medial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus and/or cuneus, was observed in all AD groups. The disruption of connectivity intensified as the stage of AD progression increased. There were also regions that exhibited increased connectivity; these regions extended from left lateralized frontoparietal regions and spread to bilateral frontoparietal regions along with AD progression. Conclusion Changes in PCC functional connectivity comprised bidirectional alterations in the resting networks in AD-affected brains, and the impaired resting functional connectivity seemed to change with AD progression. Therefore, alterations in functional connectivity in the default mode network might play a role in the progression of AD.
Key findings
- Results Dissociated functional connectivity between the PCC and a set of regions, including the visual cortices bilaterally, the inferior temporal cortex, the hippocampus, and especially the medial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus and/or cuneus, was observed in all AD groups.
Why it matters
In 46 Alzheimer patients and 16 healthy volunteers, connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and several other regions was disrupted in all Alzheimer groups and worsened with disease stage. This is an observational imaging study and does not test any treatment or show that restoring connectivity would change the disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Radiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Radiology: journal h-index 431 (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 | 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 308 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 17.1 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 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 | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Gao‐Jun Teng: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Southeast University: institution h-index 622 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20656843) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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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
Zhang, H. Y., Wang, S. J., Liu, B., Ma, Z. L., Yang, M., Zhang, Z. J., et al. (2010). Resting brain connectivity: changes during the progress of Alzheimer disease. Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.10091701
Vancouver
Zhang HY, Wang SJ, Liu B, Ma ZL, Yang M, Zhang ZJ, et al. Resting brain connectivity: changes during the progress of Alzheimer disease. Radiology. 2010. doi:10.1148/radiol.10091701. PMID: 20656843.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2010-20656843,
author = {Zhang, H. Y. and Wang, S. J. and Liu, B. and Ma, Z. L. and Yang, M. and Zhang, Z. J. and Teng, G. J.},
title = {{Resting brain connectivity: changes during the progress of Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Radiology},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1148/radiol.10091701},
pmid = {20656843},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.10091701}
}
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