Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28599217›Full record

SynthesisNeurobiology of aging2017

Reduced dopamine receptors and transporters but not synthesis capacity in normal aging adults: a meta-analysis.

Teresa M Karrer, Anika K Josef, Rui Mata, Evan D Morris, Gregory R Samanez-Larkin

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neurobiology of aging, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 138 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
138citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
12.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

138 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 265 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
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  4. Effects of sedative drug use on the dopamine system: a systematic review and meta-analysis of in vivo neuroimaging studies.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2019
    Pooled it
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  6. Trial
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  9. Dopamine Modulates Dynamic Decision-Making during Foraging.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2020
    Trial
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  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. The role of dopamine decline, astrocyte reactivity and cerebral small-vessel disease in cognitive aging.Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism · 2026
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
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  20. Trajectories of late-life depression: insights from molecular imaging.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review

78 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

5 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.

Teresa M KarrerDepartment of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: tkarrer@ukaachen.de.
Anika K JosefCenter for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
Rui MataCenter for Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Evan D MorrisYale PET Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Gregory R Samanez-LarkinDepartment of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address: g.samanezlarkin@duke.edu.
Duke University · USMax Planck Institute for Human Development · DEUniversity of Basel · CHYale Cancer Center · USYale University · US

Funding

Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award (U Component)UL1TR001863 · NCATS · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI John H. Krystal, LUCILA OHNO-MACHADO · 2016 to 2026
$102.9M
Neuromodulation of Motivated Cognition and Decision Making Across AdulthoodR00AG042596 · NIA · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI SAMANEZ LARKIN, GREGORY R · 2014 to 2016
$730k
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001863NIA NIH HHS R00 AG042596
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many theories of cognitive aging are based on evidence that dopamine (DA) declines with age. Here, we performed a systematic meta-analysis of cross-sectional positron emission tomography and single-photon emission-computed tomography studies on the average effects of age on distinct DA targets (receptors, transporters, or relevant enzymes) in healthy adults (N = 95 studies including 2611 participants). Results revealed significant moderate to large, negative effects of age on DA transporters and receptors. Age had a significantly larger effect on D1- than D2-like receptors. In contrast, there was no significant effect of age on DA synthesis capacity. The average age reductions across the DA system were 3.7%-14.0% per decade. A meta-regression found only DA target as a significant moderator of the age effect. This study precisely quantifies prior claims of reduced DA functionality with age. It also identifies presynaptic mechanisms (spared synthesis capacity and reduced DA transporters) that may partially account for previously unexplained phenomena whereby older adults appear to use dopaminergic resources effectively. Recommendations for future studies including minimum required samples sizes are provided.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overAgingCorpus StriatumDopamineDopamine Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsFemaleFrontal LobeHumansMaleMiddle AgedProtozoan ProteinsPubMedReceptors, DopamineYoung Adultaginactin protein, DictyosteliumDopamineDopamine Plasma Membrane Transport ProteinsProtozoan ProteinsReceptors, DopamineDopamineHealthy agingMeta-analysisReceptorsSynthesis capacityTransporters

Identifiers

PMID28599217
PMCPMC5645072
OpenAlexW2612528709

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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 OpenQuestion graph.