Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39044514›Full record

ArticleThe journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease2024

"Back to Braak": Role of Nucleus Reuniens and Subcortical Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease Progression.

S Censi, C Sestieri, M Punzi, A Delli Pizzi, A Ferretti, F Gambi, V Tomassini, S Delli Pizzi, S L Sensi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Thalamic nuclei insights into Alzheimer's disease.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
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

9 authors.

S CensiStefano Delli Pizzi, Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University «G. d'Annunzio» of Chieti-Pescara, Via Polacchi, 11 Chieti 66100, Italy, stefano.dellipizzi@unich.it; Stefano L Sensi, Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University «G. d'Annunzio» of Chieti-Pescara, Via Polacchi, 11 Chieti 66100, Italy, stefano.sensi@unich.it.
C Sestieri
M Punzi
A Delli Pizzi
A Ferretti
F Gambi
V Tomassini
S Delli Pizzi
S L Sensi

Funding

Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative - SupplementU01AG024904 · NIA · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE RES &EDUC · PI WEINER, MICHAEL W · 2004 to 2015
$121.0M
NIA NIH HHS U01 AG024904
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) exhibit structural alterations of the thalamus that correlate with clinical symptoms. However, given the anatomical complexity of this brain structure, it is still unclear whether atrophy affects specific thalamic nuclei and modulates the clinical progression from a prodromal stage, known as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), to full-fledged AD.

objectivesTo characterize the structural integrity of distinct thalamic nuclei across the AD spectrum, testing whether MCI patients who convert to AD (c-MCI) show a distinctive pattern of thalamic structural alterations compared to patients who remain stable (s-MCI).

designInvestigating between-group differences in the volumetric features of distinct thalamic nuclei across the AD spectrum.

settingProdromal and clinical stages of AD.

participantsWe analyzed data from 84 healthy control subjects (HC), 58 individuals with MCI, and 102 AD patients. The dataset was obtained from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-3) database. The MCI group was further divided into two subgroups depending on whether patients remained stable (s-MCI, n=22) or progressed to AD (s-MCI, n=36) in the 48 months following the diagnosis. MEASUREMENTS: A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) assessed group differences in the volumetric features of distinct thalamic nuclei obtained from magnetic resonance (MR) images. A stepwise discriminant function analysis identified which feature most effectively predicted the conversion to AD. The corresponding predictive performance was evaluated through a Receiver Operating Characteristic approach.

resultsAD and c-MCI patients showed generalized atrophy of thalamic nuclei compared to HC. In contrast, no significant structural differences were observed between s-MCI and HC subjects. Compared to s-MCI, c-MCI individuals displayed significant atrophy of the nucleus reuniens and a trend toward significant atrophy in the anteroventral and laterodorsal nuclei. The discriminant function analysis confirmed the nucleus reuniens as a significant predictor of AD conversion, with a sensitivity of 0.73 and a specificity of 0.69.

conclusionsIn line with the pathophysiological relevance of the nucleus reuniens proposed by seminal post-mortem studies on patients with AD, we confirm the pivotal role of this nucleus as a critical hub in the clinical progression to AD. We also propose a theoretical model to explain the evolving dysfunction of subcortical brain networks in the disease process.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseAtrophyCognitive DysfunctionDisease ProgressionMagnetic Resonance ImagingAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleProdromal SymptomsAlzheimer’s Disease (AD)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)reuniensthalamus

Identifiers

PMID39044514
PMCPMC11266379

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Registered trials

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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.