Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
Review: sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy
Attems J, Jellinger K, Thal DR, Van Nostrand W.. Neuropathology and applied neurobiology, 2011-02-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) may result from focal to widespread amyloid-β protein (Aβ) deposition within leptomeningeal and intracortical cerebral blood vessels. In addition, pericapillary Aβ refers to Aβ depositions in the glia limitans and adjacent neuropil, whereas in capillary CAA Aβ depositions are present in the capillary wall. CAA may cause lobar intracerebral haemorrhages and microbleeds. Hypoperfusion and reduced vascular autoregulation due to CAA might cause infarcts and white matter lesions. CAA thus causes vascular lesions that potentially lead to (vascular) dementia and may further contribute to dementia by impeding the clearance of solutes out of the brain and transport of nutrients across the blood brain barrier. Severe CAA is an independent risk factor for cognitive decline. The clinical diagnosis of CAA is based on the assessment of associated cerebrovascular lesions. In addition, perivascular spaces in the white matter and reduced concentrations of both Aβ(40) and Aβ(42) in cerebrospinal fluid may prove to be suggestive for CAA. Transgenic mouse models that overexpress human Aβ precursor protein show parenchymal Aβ and CAA, thus corroborating the current concept of CAA pathogenesis: neuronal Aβ enters the perivascular drainage pathway and may accumulate in vessel walls due to increased amounts and/or decreased clearance of Aβ, respectively. We suggest that pericapillary Aβ represents early impairment of the perivascular drainage pathway while capillary CAA is associated with decreased transendothelial clearance of Aβ. CAA plays an important role in the multimorbid condition of the ageing brain but its contribution to neurodegeneration remains to be elucidated.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Attems, J., Jellinger, K., Thal, D. R., & Van Nostrand, W. (2011). Review: sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Neuropathology and applied neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01137.x
Vancouver
Attems J, Jellinger K, Thal DR, Van Nostrand W. Review: sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Neuropathology and applied neurobiology. 2011. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01137.x. PMID: 20946241.
BibTeX
@article{attems2011-20946241,
author = {Attems, J. and Jellinger, K. and Thal, D. R. and Van Nostrand, W.},
title = {{Review: sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy}},
journal = {Neuropathology and applied neurobiology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01137.x},
pmid = {20946241},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2990.2010.01137.x}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) may result from focal to widespread amyloid-β protein (Aβ) deposition within leptomeningeal and intracortical cerebral blood vessels.
- We suggest that pericapillary Aβ represents early impairment of the perivascular drainage pathway while capillary CAA is associated with decreased transendothelial clearance of Aβ.
Why it matters
This review describes how cerebral amyloid angiopathy can cause vascular lesions that may lead to dementia and may contribute to dementia by impeding clearance of solutes and transport of nutrients across the blood brain barrier. It notes that severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy is an independent risk factor for cognitive decline, and suggests that pericapillary amyloid-β represents early impairment of the perivascular drainage pathway.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuropathology and applied neurobiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology: journal h-index 143 (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 | 2011 — 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 371 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 21.8 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 15 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 48 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author William Van Nostrand: h-index 7 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Stony Brook University: institution h-index 963 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20946241) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 40.
Later studies that cite this one
15 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also tagged “small”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “small”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.