Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and neuropsychological outcome following subarachnoid haemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between APOE genotype and cognitive and emotional outcome following spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH).


METHODS
Neuropsychological assessments were conducted with 70 SAH survivors derived from a consecutive series of neurosurgical admissions. Outcomes, including cognitive tests, health questionnaires and Glasgow Outcome Scale at a mean of 16 months after SAH, were compared with presence or absence of the epsilon4 allele.


RESULTS
There was no evidence that SAH survivors possessing the epsilon4 allele had poorer outcome. The only suggestion of an association between the epsilon4 allele and outcome was in a subgroup of patients with a Fisher grade 4 haemorrhage, although this trend did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, possession of the APOE epsilon4 allele is not significantly associated with neuropsychological outcome following SAH. However, there may be an effect amongst those with a Fisher grade 4 haemorrhage.
Morris
Paul Graham
PG
Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. p.g.morris@ed.ac.uk
Wilson
J T Lindsay
JT
Dunn
Laurence T
LT
Nicoll
James A R
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011594:Psychometrics; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E