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White matter hyperintensities precede other biomarkers in GRN frontotemporal dementia
Mahdie Soltaninejad, Mahsa Dadar, D. Louis Collins, Reza Rajabli, Vikram Venkatraghavan, Arabella Bouzigues, Lucy Louise Russell, Phoebe H. Foster et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-10-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Symptomatic GRN carriers showed elevated WMHs, primarily in the frontal lobe, while no significant increase was observed in symptomatic C9orf72 or MAPT carriers. WMH abnormalities preceded NfL elevation, ventricular enlargement, and cortical atrophy. Longitudinally, baseline WMHs predicted subcortical changes, while subcortical volumes did not predict WMH changes, suggesting WMHs may precede neurodegeneration. WMHs are elevated in a subset of GRN-associated FTD. When present, they appear early and should be considered in disease progression models. HIGHLIGHTS: Elevated WMH volumes are found predominantly in symptomatic GRN. WMH accumulation is mostly observed in the frontal lobe. WMH abnormalities appear early in GRN-associated FTD, before NfL, atrophy, and ventriculomegaly. Longitudinally, WMH volumes can predict subcortical changes, but not vice versa. WMHs are key early markers in GRN-associated FTD and should be included in progression models.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Soltaninejad, M., Dadar, M., Collins, D. L., Rajabli, R., Venkatraghavan, V., Bouzigues, A., et al. (2025). White matter hyperintensities precede other biomarkers in GRN frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70695
Vancouver
Soltaninejad M, Dadar M, Collins DL, Rajabli R, Venkatraghavan V, Bouzigues A, et al. White matter hyperintensities precede other biomarkers in GRN frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70695. PMID: 41057914.
BibTeX
@article{soltaninejad2025-41057914,
author = {Soltaninejad, Mahdie and Dadar, Mahsa and Collins, D. Louis and Rajabli, Reza and Venkatraghavan, Vikram and Bouzigues, Arabella and Russell, Lucy Louise and Foster, Phoebe H. and others},
title = {{White matter hyperintensities precede other biomarkers in GRN frontotemporal dementia}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70695},
pmid = {41057914},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70695}
}
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.
Key findings
- Symptomatic GRN carriers showed elevated WMHs, primarily in the frontal lobe, while no significant increase was observed in symptomatic C9orf72 or MAPT carriers.
- WMH abnormalities preceded NfL elevation, ventricular enlargement, and cortical atrophy.
- Longitudinally, baseline WMHs predicted subcortical changes, while subcortical volumes did not predict WMH changes, suggesting WMHs may precede neurodegeneration.
- WMHs are elevated in a subset of GRN-associated FTD.
- When present, they appear early and should be considered in disease progression models.
Why it matters
This study found that white matter hyperintensities are elevated in symptomatic GRN frontotemporal dementia carriers, primarily in the frontal lobe, and precede other biomarkers like NfL elevation and atrophy. It suggests WMHs as early markers for progression models but no treatment or cure.
Study details
- Participants763
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 48 out of 100.
| 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 | 2 / 4 | 763 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.4× 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 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 47 institution(s) in 10 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41057914) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 46 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 48 out of 100. |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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