Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41830112›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2026

Pupil dilation as a marker of attention/effort in aging and mild cognitive impairment.

Alina Zhunussova, Clare Loane, Elif Kurt, Grazia Daniela Femminella, Sabrina Lenzoni, Millie Duckett, Martina F Callaghan, Nikolaus Weiskopf, Raymond J Dolan, Robert Howard and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2026. 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. Attenuated pupillary response during visual search in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Alina ZhunussovaDepartment of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID 0009-0008-0167-5364
Clare LoaneInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
Elif KurtDepartment of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Topkapı, Istanbul, Turkiye.
Grazia Daniela FemminellaDepartment of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
Sabrina LenzoniDepartment of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Millie DuckettInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
Martina F CallaghanDepartment of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Nikolaus WeiskopfWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
Raymond J DolanWellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
Robert HowardDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, London, UK.
Emrah DüzelInstitute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Dorothea HämmererDepartment of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Funding

Representational dynamics for flexible learning in complex environmentsR01MH126971 · NIMH · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI Matthew Nassar · 2022 to 2026
$3.0M
Alzheimer's Research Trust SRF2018B-004Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 01ED2210Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 1315Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 1436Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Project A08Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Project B06EU COSTMinimal Motion System For MRI: MR-MinMoNIH HHS R01MH126971NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH126971the European Union's Horizon 2020 research 681094UK Research and InnovationWellcome Centre for Human NeuroimagingWellcome Discovery Research Platform for Naturalistic NeuroimagingWellcome Trust 203147/Z/16/ZWellcome Trust 226793/Z/22/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPupil dilation (PD) can be easily measured and reflects responses to subjectively salient or cognitively demanding events. It therefore holds promise as a cognitive marker, especially for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or other neurodegenerative conditions with restricted abilities to respond in cognitive assessments.

methodsWe assessed PD during two tasks, an oddball task for investigating attentional allocation and a Simon task, which additionally allows for investigating cognitive effort in younger adults (YAs), older adults (OAs), and patients with MCI.

resultsPD is a useful marker for investigating attention and cognitive effort in MCI, as suggested by elevated PD to salient stimuli in particular of individuals with better attentional control in MCI patients, as well as YAs and OAs. DISCUSSION: Measurement of PD may serve as an easy-to-administer measure to assess changes in cognitive function in healthy aging and MCI.

Indexed as

AgingAttentionCognitive DysfunctionPupilAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsYoung Adultattentional modulationcognitive effortlocus coeruleusmild cognitive impairmentpupil dilation

Identifiers

PMID41830112
PMCPMC13093636

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.