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The evolution of ovarian oocyte decline with aging and possible relationships to Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease
Finch CE.. Experimental gerontology, 1994-05-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Evolutionary aspects of menopause are considered from several perspectives. First, the programmed exhaustion of ovarian oocytes appears to be a general trait of mammals that is not as widely found in other vertebrates. Second, studies on mice suggest that the maternal age effect that accelerates the incidence of Down syndrome is due not to age per se but to dwindling ovarian oocyte pools. Because Down syndrome inevitably leads to Alzheimer-type neuropathology, there is reason to consider hormonal intervention strategies to reduce the risk of Down syndrome. Third, estrogens may be a protective factor in Alzheimer disease, which is another link to menopause and another rationale for special hormonal interventions.
Key findings
- Second, studies on mice suggest that the maternal age effect that accelerates the incidence of Down syndrome is due not to age per se but to dwindling ovarian oocyte pools.
Why it matters
This paper discusses evolutionary aspects of ovarian oocyte decline and raises the idea of hormonal intervention strategies, based partly on mouse studies. It proposes hypotheses only and reports no proven treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
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 (Experimental gerontology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Experimental Gerontology: journal h-index 195 (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 | 1994 — 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 | 3 / 7 | Cited 19 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.6 citations a year over 34 year(s) since 1994 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Caleb E. Finch: h-index 98 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Southern California: institution h-index 1,521 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 7925750) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Finch, C. E. (1994). The evolution of ovarian oocyte decline with aging and possible relationships to Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease. Experimental gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1016/0531-5565(94)90009-4
Vancouver
Finch CE. The evolution of ovarian oocyte decline with aging and possible relationships to Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease. Experimental gerontology. 1994. doi:10.1016/0531-5565(94)90009-4. PMID: 7925750.
BibTeX
@article{finch1994-7925750,
author = {Finch, C. E.},
title = {{The evolution of ovarian oocyte decline with aging and possible relationships to Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Experimental gerontology},
year = {1994},
doi = {10.1016/0531-5565(94)90009-4},
pmid = {7925750},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0531-5565(94)90009-4}
}
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