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Tracer kinetic model detecting heterogeneous blood–brain barrier permeability to water and contrast agent in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies
Ziming Xu, Yong Il Ji, Wen Chen, Jinghuan Gan, Zhichao Chen, Rui Li, Xiaoqi Lin, Jiaqi Dou et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-02-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
AD patients exhibited a significant reduction in the water exchange rates across the BBB, whereas DLB patients showed a significant increase in BBB permeability to contrast agent. Moreover, BBB permeability to both water and contrast agent in multiple brain regions demonstrated correlations with clinical severity. The simultaneous evaluation of BBB permeability to water and contrast agent based on the proposed model highlights the heterogeneous patterns of BBB breakdown in AD and DLB. HIGHLIGHTS: We measured blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability to water and contrast agent based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by lower water exchange rates across the BBB. Dementia with Lewy bodies exhibits higher BBB permeability to contrast agent. BBB permeability is related to cognitive impairment and disease burden. BBB permeability to water was negatively associated with that to contrast agent.
Key findings
- AD patients exhibited a significant reduction in the water exchange rates across the BBB, whereas DLB patients showed a significant increase in BBB permeability to contrast agent.
- Moreover, BBB permeability to both water and contrast agent in multiple brain regions demonstrated correlations with clinical severity.
- The simultaneous evaluation of BBB permeability to water and contrast agent based on the proposed model highlights the heterogeneous patterns of BBB breakdown in AD and DLB.
- HIGHLIGHTS: We measured blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability to water and contrast agent based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by lower water exchange rates across the BBB.
Why it matters
This study found that Alzheimer's disease patients had reduced water exchange rates across the blood-brain barrier, while dementia with Lewy bodies patients had increased permeability to contrast agent, with correlations to clinical severity. It highlights heterogeneous BBB breakdown patterns but no treatment or cure.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
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 (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 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 | 2 / 7 | Cited 14 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.3× 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 14 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Huijun Chen: h-index 36 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Tsinghua University: institution h-index 1,218 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39936244) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Xu, Z., Ji, Y. I., Chen, W., Gan, J., Chen, Z., Li, R., et al. (2025). Tracer kinetic model detecting heterogeneous blood–brain barrier permeability to water and contrast agent in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14529
Vancouver
Xu Z, Ji YI, Chen W, Gan J, Chen Z, Li R, et al. Tracer kinetic model detecting heterogeneous blood–brain barrier permeability to water and contrast agent in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.14529. PMID: 39936244.
BibTeX
@article{xu2025-39936244,
author = {Xu, Ziming and Ji, Yong Il and Chen, Wen and Gan, Jinghuan and Chen, Zhichao and Li, Rui and Lin, Xiaoqi and Dou, Jiaqi and others},
title = {{Tracer kinetic model detecting heterogeneous blood–brain barrier permeability to water and contrast agent in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.14529},
pmid = {39936244},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14529}
}
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