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Silent yet impaired: Hidden memory processing deficits in asymptomatic individuals with moderate‐to‐severe white matter hyperintensities
Aonan Li, Lei Liu, Yueyan Bian, Yuanyuan Lu, Xiuqin Jia, Yuanyuan Chen, Yi Tang, Yi Xing. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2026-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Individuals with msWMH showed systematic deficits in face-memory processing across encoding, maintenance, and retrieval, accompanied by reduced theta power and synchronization, altered alpha power, and disrupted theta-gamma coupling. DTI further revealed microstructural damage, particularly in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), which mediated the effects on global cognition via encoding-related theta oscillations. These findings indicate that individuals with msWMH already show hidden VSTM deficits. Theta oscillations mediate the link between tract integrity and global cognition, highlighting a potential preclinical intervention target. HIGHLIGHTS: Asymptomatic individuals with moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities (msWMHs) already show visual short-term memory (VSTM) deficits. Electroencephalography revealed abnormal neural oscillations during encoding, maintenance, and retrieval stages. Damage to the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) affects cognition via theta oscillations. Theta activity mediates structure - function coupling and may serve as a preclinical intervention target.
Key findings
- Individuals with msWMH showed systematic deficits in face-memory processing across encoding, maintenance, and retrieval, accompanied by reduced theta power and synchronization, altered alpha power, and disrupted theta-gamma coupling.
- DTI further revealed microstructural damage, particularly in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), which mediated the effects on global cognition via encoding-related theta oscillations.
- These findings indicate that individuals with msWMH already show hidden VSTM deficits.
- Theta oscillations mediate the link between tract integrity and global cognition, highlighting a potential preclinical intervention target.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Asymptomatic individuals with moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities (msWMHs) already show visual short-term memory (VSTM) deficits.
Why it matters
Asymptomatic people with moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities showed hidden visual short-term memory deficits along with altered brain oscillations and damage to specific white matter tracts, with theta oscillations mediating the link between tract integrity and global cognition. The authors suggest theta activity may be a preclinical intervention target, but this is a finding about brain function, not a tested treatment.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over 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 | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Yi Xing: h-index 25 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Capital Medical University: institution h-index 643 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41499267) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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
Li, A., Liu, L., Bian, Y., Lu, Y., Jia, X., Chen, Y., et al. (2026). Silent yet impaired: Hidden memory processing deficits in asymptomatic individuals with moderate‐to‐severe white matter hyperintensities. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71084
Vancouver
Li A, Liu L, Bian Y, Lu Y, Jia X, Chen Y, et al. Silent yet impaired: Hidden memory processing deficits in asymptomatic individuals with moderate‐to‐severe white matter hyperintensities. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2026. doi:10.1002/alz.71084. PMID: 41499267.
BibTeX
@article{li2026-41499267,
author = {Li, Aonan and Liu, Lei and Bian, Yueyan and Lu, Yuanyuan and Jia, Xiuqin and Chen, Yuanyuan and Tang, Yi and Xing, Yi},
title = {{Silent yet impaired: Hidden memory processing deficits in asymptomatic individuals with moderate‐to‐severe white matter hyperintensities}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1002/alz.71084},
pmid = {41499267},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71084}
}
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