Intelligence and event-related potentials for young female human volunteer apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and non-epsilon4 carriers.
The apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele is associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and cognitive function in aging normal populations. To study the effect of the presence of the epsilon4 allele on cognitive function, we compared intelligence-test scores and component values for event-related potentials for epsilon4 and non-epsilon4 carriers in a group of 134 young females. The results demonstrate modest increases in performance intelligence quotient (IQ) and N100 amplitude for epsilon4 carriers (P=0.038 and 0.068, respectively). Our findings suggest that cognitive impairment, associated with the presence of the epsilon4 allele, is age-dependent and thus not probable for young women. The higher performance IQ scores demonstrated for epsilon4 carriers require further exploration.
Yu
Y W
YW
Yu's Psychiatric Clinic, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
Lin
C H
CH
Chen
S P
SP
Hong
C J
CJ
Tsai
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000235:genetics*; D007361:Intelligence Tests
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E