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White matter hyperintensity burden in elderly cohort studies: The Sunnybrook Dementia Study, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and Three-City Study
Ramirez J, McNeely AA, Scott CJM, Masellis M, Black SE, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2015-07-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Given the recent acknowledgement of the complex mixed pathologies that contribute to the clinical expression of dementia, various cohort studies have aimed to examine Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease as comorbid pathologies, with neuroimaging playing a central role in these studies. Using white matter hyperintensities (WMH) as a biomarker of cerebrovascular disease, we compared WMH burden between the Sunnybrook Dementia Study, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-1), the Three-City Study, and various other studies around the world. Based on our findings, it was evident that ADNI-1 had minimal WMH burden relative to other large studies that examine aging and dementia.
Key findings
- Using white matter hyperintensities (WMH) as a biomarker of cerebrovascular disease, we compared WMH burden between the Sunnybrook Dementia Study, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-1), the Three-City Study, and various other studies around the world.
- Based on our findings, it was evident that ADNI-1 had minimal WMH burden relative to other large studies that examine aging and dementia.
- This low WMH burden in ADNI-1 may be considered as both an advantage, representing a relatively "pure" sample with little confounding vasculopathy, and a disadvantage, as it limits generalizability to "real-world" patient populations with mixed pathologies and to nondemented groups with baseline vascular disease.
- We explore possible reasons for this distinction, including management of vascular risk factors, gaps in diagnostic criteria, and future directions for clinical research.
Why it matters
This study compared white matter hyperintensity burden, a marker of cerebrovascular disease, across several cohort studies. It found that the ADNI-1 cohort had minimal white matter hyperintensity burden relative to other large aging and dementia studies.
Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people 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 50 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 47 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.9 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 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 Toronto: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26208292) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 50 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 50 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 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
Ramirez, J., McNeely, A. A., Scott, C. J. M., Masellis, M., Black, S. E., & Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. (2016). White matter hyperintensity burden in elderly cohort studies: The Sunnybrook Dementia Study, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and Three-City Study. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2015.06.1886
Vancouver
Ramirez J, McNeely AA, Scott CJM, Masellis M, Black SE, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. White matter hyperintensity burden in elderly cohort studies: The Sunnybrook Dementia Study, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and Three-City Study. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2016. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2015.06.1886. PMID: 26208292.
BibTeX
@article{ramirez2016-26208292,
author = {Ramirez, J. and McNeely, A. A. and Scott, C. J. M. and Masellis, M. and Black, S. E. and {Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative}},
title = {{White matter hyperintensity burden in elderly cohort studies: The Sunnybrook Dementia Study, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and Three-City Study}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1016/j.jalz.2015.06.1886},
pmid = {26208292},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2015.06.1886}
}
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