Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41206946›Full record

ArticleCerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)2025

10-year longitudinal dopamine D2-receptor losses are associated with cognitive decline in healthy aging.

Erik Lundgren, Ulman Lindenberger, Martin Lövdén, Micael Andersson, Jan Axelsson, Lars Bäckman, Jarkko Johansson, Goran Papenberg, Katrine Riklund, Alireza Salami and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. The role of dopamine decline, astrocyte reactivity and cerebral small-vessel disease in cognitive aging.Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism · 2026
    Article
  2. 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

13 authors.

Erik LundgrenDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6998-3397
Ulman LindenbergerCenter for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, DE-14195 Berlin, Germany.
Martin LövdénDepartment of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Haraldsgatan 1, SE-41314 Göteborg, Sweden.
Micael AnderssonUmeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Johan Bures väg 12, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Jan AxelssonDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Lars BäckmanAging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18 A, SE-17165 Solna, Sweden.
Jarkko JohanssonDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Goran PapenbergAging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18 A, SE-17165 Solna, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0279-1988
Katrine RiklundDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Alireza SalamiUmeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Johan Bures väg 12, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Anders WåhlinDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Lars NybergDepartment of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Norrlands universitetssjukhus, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Nina KaralijaUmeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Johan Bures väg 12, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.

Funding

Innovation Fund of the Max Planck SocietyJochnick FoundationKnut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation 2015.0277Swedish Research Council 2022-01804Västerbotten County Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aging-related dopamine decline has been suggested as a key factor behind individual differences in cognitive decline at older ages. Thus far, the hypothesized age-dopamine-cognition triad has been extrapolated from cross-sectional studies, which cannot uncover change associations. Using data from the longitudinal Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) study, we examined whether dopamine D2-receptor availability changes are correlated with cognitive changes across individuals in old age. At the first wave, 181 healthy adults aged 64 to 68 years underwent positron emission tomography with 11C-raclopride, magnetic resonance imaging, multiple cognitive tests assessing episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed, and mapping of health-related factors. The returnees (n = 129 after 5 years; n = 93 after 10 years) were representative of the parent sample regarding gender composition, educational attainment, cognitive performance, and dopamine D2-receptor status at baseline. Bayesian structural equation modeling revealed mean decline and individual differences in decline for striatal dopamine D2-receptor availability (approximately -5% per decade) and for all three cognitive abilities. Changes in dopamine D2-receptor and a factor of general cognition were positively correlated (r = 0.31, P(r > 0.00) > 0.95). Taken together, these longitudinal findings support that striatal dopamine decline is associated with cognitive aging, possibly reflecting dopamine influences via striato-thalamo-cortical loops on general cognitive functions.

Indexed as

AgingBrainCognitive DysfunctionHealthy AgingReceptors, Dopamine D2AgedFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsPositron-Emission TomographyDRD2 protein, humanReceptors, Dopamine D2agingcognitiondopamine d2-like receptorslongitudinalpositron emission tomography

Identifiers

PMID41206946
PMCPMC12597030

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.