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62/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 62 out of 100. Biomarkers

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Importance Factors associated with synapse loss beyond amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles may more closely correlate with the emergence of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer disease (AD) and be relevant for early therapeutic intervention. Objective To investigate whether accumulation of tau oligomers in synapses is associated with excessive synapse elimination by microglia or astrocytes and with cognitive outcomes (dementia vs no dementia [hereinafter termed resilient]) of individuals with equal burdens of AD neuropathologic changes at autopsy. Results Of 40 included participants (mean [SD] age at death, 88 [8] years; 21 [52%] male), 19 had early-stage dementia with Braak stages III to IV, 13 had resilient brains with similar Braak stages III to IV, and 8 had no dementia (Braak stages 0-II). Brains with dementia but not resilient brains had substantial loss of presynaptic (43%), postsynaptic (33%), and colocalized mature synaptic elements (38%) compared with controls and significantly higher percentages of mature synapses internalized by IBA1-positive microglia (mean [SD], 13.3% [3.9%] in dementia vs 2.6% [1.9%] in resilient vs 0.9% [0.5%] in control; P Conclusion and relevance The findings from this cross-sectional study suggest that microglia and astrocytes may excessively engulf synapses in brains of individuals with dementia and that the abnormal presence of tau oligomers in synapses may serve as signals for increased glial-mediated synapse elimination and early loss of brain function in AD.

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APA 7th

Taddei, R. N., Perbet, R., Mate de Gerando, A., Wiedmer, A. E., Sanchez-Mico, M., Connors Stewart, T., et al. (2023). Tau Oligomer-Containing Synapse Elimination by Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer Disease. JAMA neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3530

Vancouver

Taddei RN, Perbet R, Mate de Gerando A, Wiedmer AE, Sanchez-Mico M, Connors Stewart T, et al. Tau Oligomer-Containing Synapse Elimination by Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer Disease. JAMA neurology. 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3530. PMID: 37812432.

BibTeX

@article{taddei2023-37812432,
  author  = {Taddei, R. N. and Perbet, R. and Mate de Gerando, A. and Wiedmer, A. E. and Sanchez-Mico, M. and Connors Stewart, T. and Gaona, A. and Melloni, A. and others},
  title   = {{Tau Oligomer-Containing Synapse Elimination by Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer Disease}},
  journal = {JAMA neurology},
  year    = {2023},
  doi     = {10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3530},
  pmid    = {37812432},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.3530}
}

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Key findings

Importance Factors associated with synapse loss beyond amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles may more closely correlate with the emergence of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer disease (AD) and be relevant for early therapeutic intervention.
Objective To investigate whether accumulation of tau oligomers in synapses is associated with excessive synapse elimination by microglia or astrocytes and with cognitive outcomes (dementia vs no dementia [hereinafter termed resilient]) of individuals with equal burdens of AD neuropathologic changes at autopsy.
Results Of 40 included participants (mean [SD] age at death, 88 [8] years; 21 [52%] male), 19 had early-stage dementia with Braak stages III to IV, 13 had resilient brains with similar Braak stages III to IV, and 8 had no dementia (Braak stages 0-II).
Brains with dementia but not resilient brains had substantial loss of presynaptic (43%), postsynaptic (33%), and colocalized mature synaptic elements (38%) compared with controls and significantly higher percentages of mature synapses internalized by IBA1-positive microglia (mean [SD], 13.3% [3.9%] in dementia vs 2.6% [1.9%] in resilient vs 0.9% [0.5%] in control; P < .001) and by GFAP-positive astrocytes (mean [SD], 17.2% [10.9%] in dementia vs 3.7% [4.0%] in resilient vs 2.7% [1.8%] in control; P = .001).

Why it matters

In this cross-sectional autopsy study, brains from people who had dementia showed more loss of synapses and more engulfment of synapses by microglia than brains from people who stayed cognitively resilient despite similar Alzheimer's pathology. This suggests a possible target for early intervention, but it is an observation after death and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

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Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Participants40
Effect size13.3%; 3.9%; 2.6%
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 62/100

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

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	9 / 10	Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA neurology)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	JAMA Neurology: journal h-index 235 (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	3 / 5	2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	40 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	5 / 7	Cited 109 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	21.8 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023
Impact for its field and year	4 / 6	Cited 15.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 4 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 103 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Teresa Gómez‐Isla: h-index 66 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	3 / 3	Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37812432)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	62 / 100	—

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