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53/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 53 out of 100. Tau biomarkers

Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis

Objective To determine the ordering of changes in Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers among cognitively normal individuals. Methods Cross-sectional data, including CSF analytes, molecular imaging of cerebral fibrillar β-amyloid (Aβ) with PET using the [ 11 C] benzothiazole tracer Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), MRI-based brain structures, and clinical/cognitive outcomes harmonized from 8 studies, collectively involving 3,284 cognitively normal individuals 18 to 101 years of age, were analyzed. The age at which each marker exhibited an accelerated change (called the change point) was estimated and compared across the markers.

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

APA 7th

Luo, J., Agboola, F., Grant, E., Masters, C. L., Albert, M. S., Johnson, S. C., et al. (2020). Sequence of Alzheimer disease biomarker changes in cognitively normal adults: A cross-sectional study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000010747

Vancouver

Luo J, Agboola F, Grant E, Masters CL, Albert MS, Johnson SC, et al. Sequence of Alzheimer disease biomarker changes in cognitively normal adults: A cross-sectional study. Neurology. 2020. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000010747. PMID: 32873693.

BibTeX

@article{luo2020-32873693,
  author  = {Luo, J. and Agboola, F. and Grant, E. and Masters, C. L. and Albert, M. S. and Johnson, S. C. and McDade, E. M. and Vöglein, J. and others},
  title   = {{Sequence of Alzheimer disease biomarker changes in cognitively normal adults: A cross-sectional study}},
  journal = {Neurology},
  year    = {2020},
  doi     = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000010747},
  pmid    = {32873693},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000010747}
}

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Key findings

Methods Cross-sectional data, including CSF analytes, molecular imaging of cerebral fibrillar β-amyloid (Aβ) with PET using the [ 11 C] benzothiazole tracer Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), MRI-based brain structures, and clinical/cognitive outcomes harmonized from 8 studies, collectively involving 3,284 cognitively normal individuals 18 to 101 years of age, were analyzed.
The age at which each marker exhibited an accelerated change (called the change point) was estimated and compared across the markers.
Results Accelerated changes in CSF Aβ 1-42 (Aβ 42 ) occurred at 48.28 years of age and in Aβ 42 /Aβ 40 ratio at 46.02 years, followed by PiB mean cortical standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) with a change point at 54.47 years.
CSF total tau (Tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (Ptau) had a change point at ≈60 years, similar to those for MRI hippocampal volume and cortical thickness.

Why it matters

This study estimated the order in which Alzheimer's disease biomarkers change in cognitively normal adults by analyzing data from eight studies. It is a cross-sectional observational study and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Blood tests & biomarkers →

Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 53/100

Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology)
Journal's citation record	4 / 4	Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
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	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	4 / 7	Cited 61 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	7.6 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 5.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 8 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 23 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Chengjie Xiong: h-index 52 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	3 / 3	Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 3 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32873693)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	53 / 100	—

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