ArticleAnnals of neurology2026
Anatomical Associations Between Focal Mitochondrial Metabolism and Patterns of Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Article in Annals of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Muscle MRI and Muscle Ultrasound Applications in MND/ALS: Academic Insights and Clinical Opportunities.European journal of neurology · 2026Pooled it
- Review
- Putative mitochondrial components of frontotemporal lobar degeneration: topological correlations between mitochondrial density and atrophy in FTLD/FTD phenotypes.Journal of neurology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has a very specific neuroimaging signature, but the molecular underpinnings of the strikingly selective anatomic involvement have not elucidated to date. Accordingly, a large neuroimaging study was conducted with 258 participants to evaluate associations between patterns of neurodegeneration and focal metabolic metrics.
methodsStructural and diffusivity alterations were systematically evaluated in a genetically stratified cohort. Voxelwise associations between neurodegeneration and physiological mitochondrial indices were systematically evaluated over the entire brain and also examined in specific regions.
resultsSignificant topological associations were identified between physiological mitochondria tissue density, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome c oxidase (COX), mitochondrial respiratory capacity (MRC), tissue respiratory capacity (TRC), and propensity to focal atrophy in ALS. Anatomic correlations between mitochondrial metrics and morphometric change were particularly strong in GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat carriers in C9orf72. Diffusivity analyses also confirmed associations between brain metabolism and microstructural degeneration. Higher focal mitochondria tissue density was associated with higher likelihood of frontal, temporal, cerebellar, opercular, thalamic, cingulum, putamen, corpus callosum, and corona radiata degeneration. Uncinate fasciculus degeneration was associated with higher Complex I, II, COX, and TRC activity. Topological associations were readily replicated in an external validation cohort.
interpretationOur data indicate that brain regions with high metabolic activity are particularly vulnerable to neurodegeneration in ALS. Anatomic associations between physiological cerebral metabolism and patterns of neurodegeneration implicate mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ALS. Although mitochondrial dysfunction may not be the primary etiological factor, it may represent a shared bottleneck of multiple converging molecular and genetic pathways, offering a potential opportunity for meaningful pharmacological intervention. ANN NEUROL 2026;99:614-628.
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