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Uncovering lipid biomarkers linked to methylphenidate efficacy in treating apathy in Alzheimer's disease: insights from the ADMET 2 trial
Ruthirakuhan M, Mills M, Rosenberg P, Haughey N, Mintzer J, Brawman-Mintzer O, Craft S, Herrmann N et al.. Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2026-05-25
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
This study aimed to identify lipid species associated with MPH response and explore lipid pathway disruptions in responders versus non-responders. Results Of the 43 MPH-treated participants, 28 were NPI-apathy responders, and 10 were ADCS-CGIC responders. Pathway analysis revealed disruptions in ceramide, phosphosphingolipid, and glycosphingolipid metabolism for NPI-apathy responders, and ceramide and glycosphingolipid metabolism for ADCS-CGIC responders.
Key findings
- This study aimed to identify lipid species associated with MPH response and explore lipid pathway disruptions in responders versus non-responders.
- Results Of the 43 MPH-treated participants, 28 were NPI-apathy responders, and 10 were ADCS-CGIC responders.
- Pathway analysis revealed disruptions in ceramide, phosphosphingolipid, and glycosphingolipid metabolism for NPI-apathy responders, and ceramide and glycosphingolipid metabolism for ADCS-CGIC responders.
Why it matters
Using data from the ADMET 2 trial of methylphenidate for apathy in Alzheimer's, researchers looked for lipid (fat) molecules linked to treatment response. Of 43 treated participants, 28 were responders on an apathy scale and 10 on a clinician's overall rating, and responders showed disruptions in ceramide and glycosphingolipid metabolism. The aim was to find lipid markers that could flag who is likely to respond, but the record does not report how well they predict this.
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Effect sizeAUC = 0.82; AUC=0.84
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer's research & therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s Research & Therapy: journal h-index 146 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| 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 | 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 | 3 / 3 | Effect reported with a statistic (interval, p-value, ratio or similar) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× 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 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Krista L. Lanctôt: h-index 84 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42178577) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13195-026-02055-y
- PubMed: 42178577
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s Research & Therapy →
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'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
Ruthirakuhan, M., Mills, M., Rosenberg, P., Haughey, N., Mintzer, J., Brawman-Mintzer, O., et al. (2026). Uncovering lipid biomarkers linked to methylphenidate efficacy in treating apathy in Alzheimer's disease: insights from the ADMET 2 trial. Alzheimer's research & therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-026-02055-y
Vancouver
Ruthirakuhan M, Mills M, Rosenberg P, Haughey N, Mintzer J, Brawman-Mintzer O, et al. Uncovering lipid biomarkers linked to methylphenidate efficacy in treating apathy in Alzheimer's disease: insights from the ADMET 2 trial. Alzheimer's research & therapy. 2026. doi:10.1186/s13195-026-02055-y. PMID: 42178577.
BibTeX
@article{ruthirakuhan2026-42178577,
author = {Ruthirakuhan, M. and Mills, M. and Rosenberg, P. and Haughey, N. and Mintzer, J. and Brawman-Mintzer, O. and Craft, S. and Herrmann, N. and others},
title = {{Uncovering lipid biomarkers linked to methylphenidate efficacy in treating apathy in Alzheimer's disease: insights from the ADMET 2 trial}},
journal = {Alzheimer's research \& therapy},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-026-02055-y},
pmid = {42178577},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-026-02055-y}
}
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