Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40336943›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in aging neuroscience2025

Neural correlates of subjective cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of structural and functional brain changes for early diagnosis and intervention.

Giulia Marafioti, Laura Culicetto, Desirèe Latella, Angela Marra, Angelo Quartarone, Viviana Lo Buono

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. 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.

Giulia MarafiotiIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.
Laura CulicettoIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.
Desirèe LatellaIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.
Angela MarraIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.
Angelo QuartaroneIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.
Viviana Lo BuonoIRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is increasingly recognized as a preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), representing a critical window for early detection and intervention. Understanding the structural and functional neural changes in SCD can improve diagnosis, monitoring, and management of this early stage of disease. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases to identify studies examining neuroanatomical, neurofunctional, and neuroimaging findings in individuals with SCD. Inclusion criteria emphasized studies exploring SCD's potential as an early biomarker for AD progression. Results: A total of 2.283 studies were screened, with 17 meeting the inclusion criteria. Evidence indicates that SCD is associated with cortical thinning and reductions in gray matter volume (GMV), particularly in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and medial temporal lobe. Functional imaging studies reveal disruptions in the default mode network (DMN), executive control networks (ECN), and sensorimotor networks (SMN), indicating both compensatory mechanisms and early dysfunction. Dynamic functional connectivity studies report reduced brain activity efficiency, while graph theory analyses show decreased network integration. Advanced neuroimaging techniques and machine learning (ML) approaches demonstrate significant promise in detecting subtle neural changes in SCD, with applications for early diagnosis and monitoring disease progression. Conclusion: SCD represents a heterogeneous condition characterized by mixed compensatory and degenerative neural changes, marking a critical early stage in the AD continuum. Combining structural and functional brain alterations with advanced neuroimaging and ML methodologies provides valuable biomarkers for early detection. Future longitudinal and multimodal studies are essential to standardize methodologies, account for individual variability, and develop personalized interventions aimed at mitigating progression to dementia. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024616052, CRD42024616052.

Indexed as

Alzheimer’s diseaseearly diagnosisfunctional connectivitymachine learningneuroimagingsubjective cognitive decline

Identifiers

PMID40336943
PMCPMC12055787

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.