Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29127806›Full record

SynthesisAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2018

Blood DNA methylation as a potential biomarker of dementia: A systematic review.

Peter D Fransquet, Paul Lacaze, Richard Saffery, John McNeil, Robyn Woods, Joanne Ryan

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
49citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
6.2field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

49 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Blood DNA methylation signature for incident dementia: Evidence from longitudinal cohorts.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
    Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Blood DNA Methylation Patterns in Older Adults With Evolving Dementia.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2022
    Article
  20. Article
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

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Peter D FransquetDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Paul LacazeDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Richard SafferyDisease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
John McNeilDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Robyn WoodsDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Joanne RyanDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; INSERM, Neuropsychiatry: Epidemiological and Clinical Research, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France. Electronic address: joanne.ryan@monash.edu.
Monash University · AUMurdoch Children's Research Institute · AUUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

ASPirin in Reducing Events in the ElderlyU01AG029824 · NIA · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI MCNEIL, JOHN JAMES, MURRAY, ANNE M · 2009 to 2018
$64.6M
NIA NIH HHS U01 AG029824
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Dementia is a major public health issue with rising prevalence rates, but many individuals remain undiagnosed. Accurate and timely diagnosis is key for the optimal targeting of interventions. A noninvasive, easily measurable peripheral biomarker would have greatest utility in population-wide diagnostic screening. Epigenetics, including DNA methylation, is implicated in dementia; however, it is unclear whether epigenetic changes can be detected in peripheral tissue. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence for an association between dementia and peripheral DNA methylation. Forty-eight studies that measured DNA methylation in peripheral blood were identified, and 67% reported significant associations with dementia. However, most studies were underpowered and limited by their case-control design. We emphasize the need for future longitudinal studies on large well-characterized populations, measuring epigenetic patterns in asymptomatic individuals. A biomarker detectable in the preclinical stages of the disease would have the greatest utility in future intervention and treatment trials.

Indexed as

DNA MethylationBiomarkersDementiaEpigenesis, GeneticHumansBiomarkersAlzheimer's diseaseBiomarkerBloodDementiaDNA methylationEpigeneticsPeripheral

Identifiers

PMID29127806
PMCPMC6810631
OpenAlexW2767280000

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.