Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31006825›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2019

Structural correlates of attention dysfunction in Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease: an ex-Gaussian analysis.

Julia Schumacher, Ruth Cromarty, Peter Gallagher, Michael J Firbank, Alan J Thomas, Marcus Kaiser, Andrew M Blamire, John T O'Brien, Luis R Peraza, John-Paul Taylor

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 16% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Behavioral disorders in dementia with Lewy bodies: old and new knowledge.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Julia SchumacherInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK. julia.schumacher@newcastle.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7323-4789
Ruth CromartyInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
Peter GallagherInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, The Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
Michael J FirbankInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
Alan J ThomasInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
Marcus KaiserInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, The Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
Andrew M BlamireInstitute of Cellular Medicine and Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
John T O'BrienDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0SP, UK.
Luis R PerazaInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
John-Paul TaylorInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building 3rd Floor, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL, UK.
Newcastle Hospitals - Campus for Ageing and Vitality · GBNewcastle University · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust WT088441MA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLewy body dementia (LBD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common forms of degenerative dementia. While they are characterized by different clinical profiles, attentional deficits are a common feature. The objective of this study was to investigate how attentional problems in LBD and AD differentially affect different aspects of reaction time performance and to identify possible structural neural correlates.

methodsWe studied reaction time data from an attention task comparing 39 LBD patients, 28 AD patients, and 22 age-matched healthy controls. Data were fitted to an ex-Gaussian model to characterize different facets of the reaction time distribution (mean reaction time, reaction time variability, and the subset of extremely slow responses). Correlations between ex-Gaussian parameters and grey and white matter volume were assessed by voxel-based morphometry.

resultsBoth dementia groups showed an increase in extremely slow responses. While there was no difference between AD and controls with respect to mean reaction time and variability, both were significantly increased in LBD patients compared to controls and AD. There were widespread correlations between mean reaction time and variability and grey matter loss in AD, but not in LBD.

conclusionsThis study shows that different aspects of reaction time performance are differentially affected by AD and LBD, with a difference in structural neural correlates underlying the observed behavioural deficits. While impaired attentional performance is linked to brain atrophy in AD, in LBD it might be related to functional or microstructural rather than macrostructural changes.

Indexed as

AgedAged, 80 and overAlzheimer DiseaseAttentionDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansLewy Body DiseaseMaleNormal DistributionReaction TimeAttention network testCognitive fluctuationsNeurodegenerationParkinsonismVoxel-based morphometry

Identifiers

PMID31006825
PMCPMC6586700
OpenAlexW2935976951

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.