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Retinal imaging demonstrates reduced capillary density in clinically unimpaired APOE ε4 gene carriers
Fanny M Elahi, Senyo B Ashimatey, Daniel J Bennett, Samantha M Walters, Renaud La Joie, Xuejuan Jiang, Amy Wolf, Yann Cobigo et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2021-05-11
Topic: Genetics and APOE
Our analyses demonstrate lower retinal capillary densities in early disease, in cognitively normal APOE ε4 gene carriers. Furthermore, through regression modeling with a measure of brain perfusion (arterial spin labeling), we provide support for the relevance of these findings to cerebral vasculature. These results suggest that APOE ε4 affects capillary health in humans and that retinal capillary measures could serve as surrogates for brain capillaries, providing an opportunity to study microangiopathic contributions to neurodegenerative disorders directly in humans.
Key findings
- Our analyses demonstrate lower retinal capillary densities in early disease, in cognitively normal APOE ε4 gene carriers.
- Furthermore, through regression modeling with a measure of brain perfusion (arterial spin labeling), we provide support for the relevance of these findings to cerebral vasculature.
- These results suggest that APOE ε4 affects capillary health in humans and that retinal capillary measures could serve as surrogates for brain capillaries, providing an opportunity to study microangiopathic contributions to neurodegenerative disorders directly in humans.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 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 | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34013017) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 25 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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APA 7th
Elahi, F. M., Ashimatey, S. B., Bennett, D. J., Walters, S. M., La Joie, R., Jiang, X., et al. (2021). Retinal imaging demonstrates reduced capillary density in clinically unimpaired APOE ε4 gene carriers. Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands). https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12181
Vancouver
Elahi FM, Ashimatey SB, Bennett DJ, Walters SM, La Joie R, Jiang X, et al. Retinal imaging demonstrates reduced capillary density in clinically unimpaired APOE ε4 gene carriers. Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 2021. doi:10.1002/dad2.12181. PMID: 34013017.
BibTeX
@article{elahi2021-34013017,
author = {Elahi, Fanny M and Ashimatey, Senyo B and Bennett, Daniel J and Walters, Samantha M and La Joie, Renaud and Jiang, Xuejuan and Wolf, Amy and Cobigo, Yann and others},
title = {{Retinal imaging demonstrates reduced capillary density in clinically unimpaired APOE ε4 gene carriers}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1002/dad2.12181},
pmid = {34013017},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12181}
}