Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31164160›Full record

Trial reportAlzheimer's research & therapy2019

Brain volumes and cortical thickness on MRI in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER).

Ruth Stephen, Yawu Liu, Tiia Ngandu, Riitta Antikainen, Juha Hulkkonen, Juha Koikkalainen, Nina Kemppainen, Jyrki Lötjönen, Esko Levälahti, Riitta Parkkola and 9 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01041989 (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability), which is not on this map. Cited by 70 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
11.3field-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.

NCT01041989 naunknown statusnot on this map

Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability

TypeinterventionalSponsorFinnish Institute for Health and WelfareRan2009 to 2025Enrolled1,200ConditionsCognitive Impairment, DementiaArmsNutritional guidance, Exercise, Cognitive training, Reduction of vascular risk factors
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 112 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Brain patterns and risk factors in the FINGER RCT multimodal lifestyle intervention.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2025
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10 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

19 authors at 8 institutions in 6 countries.

Ruth StephenDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Yawu LiuDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. yawu.liu@kuh.fi.
Tiia NganduPublic Health Promotion Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Riitta AntikainenCenter for Life Course Health Research/Geriatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Juha HulkkonenDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Juha KoikkalainenCombinostics, Tampere, Finland.
Nina KemppainenTurku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Jyrki LötjönenCombinostics, Tampere, Finland.
Esko LevälahtiPublic Health Promotion Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Riitta ParkkolaTurku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Pauliina PippolaSeinäjoki City Hospital, Seinäjoki, Finland.
Juha RinneTurku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Timo StrandbergCenter for Life Course Health Research/Geriatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Jaakko TuomilehtoPublic Health Promotion Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
Ritva VanninenDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Miia KivipeltoDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Hilkka SoininenDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Alina SolomonDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
FINGER study group
University of Eastern Finland · FIUniversity of Turku · FIUniversity of Helsinki · FIFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare · FIOulu University Hospital · FISeinäjoki University of Applied Sciences · FITurku University Hospital · FIUniversität für Weiterbildung Krems · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) was a multicenter randomized controlled trial that reported beneficial effects on cognition for a 2-year multimodal intervention (diet, exercise, cognitive training, vascular risk monitoring) versus control (general health advice). This study reports exploratory analyses of brain MRI measures.

methodsFINGER targeted 1260 older individuals from the general Finnish population. Participants were 60-77 years old, at increased risk for dementia but without dementia/substantial cognitive impairment. Brain MRI scans were available for 132 participants (68 intervention, 64 control) at baseline and 112 participants (59 intervention, 53 control) at 2 years. MRI measures included regional brain volumes, cortical thickness, and white matter lesion (WML) volume. Cognition was assessed at baseline and 1- and 2-year visits using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. We investigated the (1) differences between the intervention and control groups in change in MRI outcomes (FreeSurfer 5.3) and (2) post hoc sub-group analyses of intervention effects on cognition in participants with more versus less pronounced structural brain changes at baseline (mixed-effects regression models, Stata 12).

resultsNo significant differences between the intervention and control groups were found on the changes in MRI measures. Beneficial intervention effects on processing speed were more pronounced in individuals with higher baseline cortical thickness in Alzheimer's disease signature areas (composite measure of entorhinal, inferior and middle temporal, and fusiform regions). The randomization group × time × cortical thickness interaction coefficient was 0.198 (p = 0.021). A similar trend was observed for higher hippocampal volume (group × time × hippocampus volume interaction coefficient 0.1149, p = 0.085).

conclusionsThe FINGER MRI exploratory sub-study did not show significant differences between the intervention and control groups on changes in regional brain volumes, regional cortical thicknesses, or WML volume after 2 years in at-risk elderly without substantial impairment. The cognitive benefits on processing speed of the FINGER intervention may be more pronounced in individuals with fewer structural brain changes on MRI at baseline. This suggests that preventive strategies may be more effective if started early, before the occurrence of more pronounced structural brain changes.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01041989 . Registered January 5, 2010.

Indexed as

Disability EvaluationAgedCerebral CortexCognitive DysfunctionFemaleFinlandGeriatric AssessmentHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedOrgan SizeCognitive impairmentDementiaLifestyleNeuroimagingPreventionRandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID31164160
PMCPMC6549301
OpenAlexW2949150659

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.