Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40188035›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's research & therapy2025

Fibre density and cross-section associate with hallmark pathology in early Alzheimer's disease.

Greet Vanderlinden, Ahmed Radwan, Daan Christiaens, Jeroen Blommaert, Stefan Sunaert, Mathieu Vandenbulcke, Michel Koole, Koen Van Laere

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Greet VanderlindenNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Greet.vanderlinden@kuleuven.be.ORCID 0000-0002-5673-4121
Ahmed RadwanTranslational MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Daan ChristiaensTranslational MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Jeroen BlommaertDepartment of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Stefan SunaertTranslational MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Mathieu VandenbulckeLeuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
Michel KooleNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Koen Van LaereNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek FWO/G093218NKU Leuven C2 funding C24-17-063
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) propagates trans-synaptically along structurally connected brain networks and in synergy with amyloid pathology it induces synaptic damage. However, the in vivo relationship of amyloid, tau and synaptic density with white matter (WM) structural changes has been studied rather limitedly. Recent advances in diffusion MRI processing allow quantification of apparent fibre density and fibre cross-section on the fixel level, i.e., individual fibre populations within one voxel. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis of axonal loss due to tau propagation and amyloid pathology and its association with synaptic density in early disease stages.

methodsTwenty-four patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and 23 healthy controls (HC) underwent baseline amyloid (

resultsAt baseline, multiple WM tracts showed lower fibre density and lower fibre cross-section in aMCI compared to HC, and these parameters further decreased longitudinally in the aMCI group. In the temporal cingulum bundle, reduced fibre density was significantly associated with reduced hippocampal synaptic density while increased hippocampal and PCC-P tau specifically correlated with reduced fibre cross-section. Increased global amyloid burden was associated with reduced fibre density and fibre cross-section in the temporal cingulum bundle.

conclusionsOur results suggest that WM degeneration already occurs in the aMCI stage of AD and alterations in apparent fibre density and fibre cross-section of the temporal cingulum bundle are associated with AD hallmark pathology.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseBrainCognitive DysfunctionWhite MatterAgedDiffusion Magnetic Resonance ImagingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPositron-Emission Tomographytau Proteinstau ProteinsAmyloidDiffusion MRIFixel-based analysisMild cognitive impairmentSynaptic densityTau

Identifiers

PMID40188035
PMCPMC11971806

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.