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The blood-brain barrier: an overview: structure, regulation, and clinical implications
Ballabh P, Braun A, Nedergaard M.. Neurobiology of disease, 2004-06-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a diffusion barrier, which impedes influx of most compounds from blood to brain. Three cellular elements of the brain microvasculature compose the BBB-endothelial cells, astrocyte end-feet, and pericytes (PCs). Tight junctions (TJs), present between the cerebral endothelial cells, form a diffusion barrier, which selectively excludes most blood-borne substances from entering the brain.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ballabh, P., Braun, A., & Nedergaard, M. (2004). The blood-brain barrier: an overview: structure, regulation, and clinical implications. Neurobiology of disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.016
Vancouver
Ballabh P, Braun A, Nedergaard M. The blood-brain barrier: an overview: structure, regulation, and clinical implications. Neurobiology of disease. 2004. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.016. PMID: 15207256.
BibTeX
@article{ballabh2004-15207256,
author = {Ballabh, P. and Braun, A. and Nedergaard, M.},
title = {{The blood-brain barrier: an overview: structure, regulation, and clinical implications}},
journal = {Neurobiology of disease},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.016},
pmid = {15207256},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.016}
}
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
- Three cellular elements of the brain microvasculature compose the BBB-endothelial cells, astrocyte end-feet, and pericytes (PCs).
- Tight junctions (TJs), present between the cerebral endothelial cells, form a diffusion barrier, which selectively excludes most blood-borne substances from entering the brain.
- Astrocytic end-feet tightly ensheath the vessel wall and appear to be critical for the induction and maintenance of the TJ barrier, but astrocytes are not believed to have a barrier function in the mammalian brain.
- Dysfunction of the BBB, for example, impairment of the TJ seal, complicates a number of neurologic diseases including stroke and neuroinflammatory disorders.
Why it matters
This overview describes the structure and regulation of the blood-brain barrier, including endothelial cells, astrocyte end-feet, pericytes and tight junctions that exclude most blood-borne substances from the brain. It is general background on barrier biology and does not report any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, 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 (Neurobiology of disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Neurobiology of Disease: journal h-index 225 (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 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 / 7 | Cited 2,262 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 94.2 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 36.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 322 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Maiken Nedergaard: h-index 156 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | New York Medical College: institution h-index 505 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15207256) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2003.12.016
- PubMed: 15207256
- Original source →
- Free full text: DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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