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Whole-brain atrophy rate and cognitive decline: longitudinal MR study of memory clinic patients
Sluimer JD, van der Flier WM, Karas GB, Fox NC, Scheltens P, Barkhof F, Vrenken H.. Radiology, 2008-06-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Purpose To prospectively determine whole-brain atrophy rate in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD) and its association with cognitive decline, and investigate the risk of progression to dementia in initially nondemented patients given baseline brain volume and whole-brain atrophy rate. Materials and methods This study was IRB approved; written informed consent was obtained; and included 65 AD patients (38 women, 27 men; age, 52-81 years), 45 MCI patients (22 women, 23 men; age, 56-80 years), 27 patients with subjective complaints (12 women, 15 men; age, 50-87 years), and 10 healthy controls (six women, four men; age, 53-80 years). Two magnetic resonance (MR) images were acquired at average interval of 1.8 years +/- 0.7 (standard deviation). Baseline brain volume and whole-brain atrophy rates were measured on three-dimensional T1-weighted MR images (1.0 T; single slab, 168 sections; matrix size, 256 x 256; field of view, 250 mm; voxel size, 1 x 1 x 1.5 mm; repetition time msec/echo time msec/inversion time msec, 15/7/300; and flip angle, 15 degrees ). Associations were assessed by using partial-correlations. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of developing dementia. Results Baseline brain volume was lowest in AD but did not differ significantly between MCI, subjective complaints, and control groups (P > .38). Whole-brain atrophy rates were higher in AD (-1.9% per year +/- 0.9) than MCI (-1.2% per year +/- 0.9, P = .003) patients, who had higher whole-brain atrophy rates than patients with subjective complaints (-0.7% per year +/- 0.7, P = .03) and controls (-0.5% per year +/- 0.5, P = .05). Whole-brain atrophy rate correlated with annualized Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) change (r = 0.48, P Conclusion Whole-brain atrophy rate was strongly associated with cognitive decline. In nondemented participants, a high whole-brain atrophy rate was associated with an increased risk of progression to dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Sluimer, J. D., van der Flier, W. M., Karas, G. B., Fox, N. C., Scheltens, P., Barkhof, F., et al. (2008). Whole-brain atrophy rate and cognitive decline: longitudinal MR study of memory clinic patients. Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2482070938
Vancouver
Sluimer JD, van der Flier WM, Karas GB, Fox NC, Scheltens P, Barkhof F, et al. Whole-brain atrophy rate and cognitive decline: longitudinal MR study of memory clinic patients. Radiology. 2008. doi:10.1148/radiol.2482070938. PMID: 18574133.
BibTeX
@article{sluimer2008-18574133,
author = {Sluimer, J. D. and van der Flier, W. M. and Karas, G. B. and Fox, N. C. and Scheltens, P. and Barkhof, F. and Vrenken, H.},
title = {{Whole-brain atrophy rate and cognitive decline: longitudinal MR study of memory clinic patients}},
journal = {Radiology},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1148/radiol.2482070938},
pmid = {18574133},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2482070938}
}
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Baseline brain volume was lowest in AD but did not differ significantly between MCI, subjective complaints, and control groups (P > .38).
- Whole-brain atrophy rate correlated with annualized Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) change (r = 0.48, P Conclusion Whole-brain atrophy rate was strongly associated with cognitive decline.
- In nondemented participants, a high whole-brain atrophy rate was associated with an increased risk of progression to dementia.
Why it matters
Whole-brain atrophy rate was strongly associated with cognitive decline, and in nondemented participants a high atrophy rate was associated with increased risk of progression to dementia. This is an observational imaging study and does not show that any treatment, cure, or prevention works.
Study details
- Participants65
- Effect size1.9%; 1.2%; 0.7%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Radiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Radiology: journal h-index 431 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2008 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 65 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 177 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.8 citations a year over 20 year(s) since 2008 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 18 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 35 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Hugo Vrenken: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18574133) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
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