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51/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 51 out of 100. Brain scans and imaging

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Cerebellar volumetric changes are intricately linked to aging, with distinct patterns across its transverse zones, the functional subdivisions characterized by unique cytoarchitectural and connectivity profiles. Despite research efforts, the cerebellar aging process in health and neurological disorders remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of age and sex on total cerebellum, transverse zone, and lobule volumes using MRI data from over 45,000 participants compiled from six neuroimaging datasets. We also propose a framework for estimating cerebellum age as an indicator of cerebellar health. Significant age-dependent volume reductions were observed across transverse zones, with the central zone (CZ; lobules VI and VII) exhibiting the steepest decline in both health and neurological disorders. This finding highlights the CZ's vulnerability to aging and its critical role in cognitive and emotional processing. We also found prominent sex differences in age-dependent volumetric changes. Males exhibited smaller total intracranial volume (TIV)-adjusted cerebellum volume and faster age-dependent volume reduction than females in both health and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease (AD), and Parkinson disease (PD). In contrast, females with schizophrenia (SZ) and cocaine use disorder (CUD) revealed faster age-dependent cerebellar volume reduction than males. Patients with MCI, AD, and PD experienced more pronounced atrophy in the posterior (PZ) and nodular (NZ) zones compared to age-matched healthy controls, while SZ patients were characterized by a more prominent reduction in CZ. In CUD, a non-significant volume decline was observed in all zones compared to the controls. Moreover, our framework for estimating cerebellum age revealed a notable difference in cerebellar aging between healthy individuals and neurological patients. Finally, we charted age-dependent changes in cerebellar volume in healthy individuals, focusing on transverse zones capturing the functional subdivisions. These findings underscore the potential of cerebellar volumetric analysis as a biomarker for early detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Our novel approach complements and enhances MRI-based analyses, providing essential insights into the pathogenesis of aging, neurodegeneration, and chronic neuropsychiatric conditions.

What this study adds

Evidence grade: Low

The record lists 45,000 participants. Using MRI data from over 45,000 participants, this study found that part of the cerebellum called the central zone shrinks fastest with age in both health and neurological disorders, and that men and women differ in these age-related changes. It describes how brain structure changes over time and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Ghiyamihoor, F., Peymani, P., Perron, J., Asemi‐Rad, A., Marzban, M., Mohite, A., et al. (2025). Volumetric Changes in Cerebellar Transverse Zones: Age and Sex Effects in Health and Neurological Disorders. Human Brain Mapping. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70214

Vancouver

Ghiyamihoor F, Peymani P, Perron J, Asemi‐Rad A, Marzban M, Mohite A, et al. Volumetric Changes in Cerebellar Transverse Zones: Age and Sex Effects in Health and Neurological Disorders. Human Brain Mapping. 2025. doi:10.1002/hbm.70214. PMID: 40241499.

BibTeX

@article{ghiyamihoor2025-40241499,
  author  = {Ghiyamihoor, Farshid and Peymani, Payam and Perron, Jarrad and Asemi‐Rad, Azam and Marzban, Mehdi and Mohite, Aashka and Ardila, Karen and Aljada, Bara and others},
  title   = {{Volumetric Changes in Cerebellar Transverse Zones: Age and Sex Effects in Health and Neurological Disorders}},
  journal = {Human Brain Mapping},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1002/hbm.70214},
  pmid    = {40241499},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70214}
}

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How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record lists 45,000 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

Significant age-dependent volume reductions were observed across transverse zones, with the central zone (CZ; lobules VI and VII) exhibiting the steepest decline in both health and neurological disorders.
In contrast, females with schizophrenia (SZ) and cocaine use disorder (CUD) revealed faster age-dependent cerebellar volume reduction than males.
Patients with MCI, AD, and PD experienced more pronounced atrophy in the posterior (PZ) and nodular (NZ) zones compared to age-matched healthy controls, while SZ patients were characterized by a more prominent reduction in CZ.
In CUD, a non-significant volume decline was observed in all zones compared to the controls.
Moreover, our framework for estimating cerebellum age revealed a notable difference in cerebellar aging between healthy individuals and neurological patients.

Why it matters

Using MRI data from over 45,000 participants, this study found that part of the cerebellum called the central zone shrinks fastest with age in both health and neurological disorders, and that men and women differ in these age-related changes. It describes how brain structure changes over time and does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →

Study details

Participants45,000
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 51/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Human Brain Mapping)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Human Brain Mapping: journal h-index 271 (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	4 / 4	45,000 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	2 / 7	Cited 10 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	3.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 6.4× 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	1 / 4	Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Hassan Marzban: h-index 30 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	2 / 3	Baylor College of Medicine: institution h-index 1,607 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 10 institution(s) in 5 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40241499)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	51 / 100	—

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