A distinctive interaction between chronic anxiety and problem solving in asymptomatic APOE e4 homozygotes.
We correlated measures of problem solving (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [WCST] categories, total errors, and perseverative errors) and chronic anxiety (Personality Assessment Inventory Anxiety Scale [ANX]) in asymptomatic apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 homozygotes (HMZs), heterozygotes, and noncarriers (NC) (n = 42 in each group) matched for age, education, and gender. Differences between HMZ and NC in the slope of the regression of WCST scores on ANX reached statistical significance on all three WCST measures. Chronic anxiety adversely affects cognitive skills in all groups, and is associated with significantly greater decline in problem solving skills in cognitively normal APOE e4 HMZ.
Caselli
Richard J
RJ
Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, University of Arizona, AZ, USA. Caselli.Richard@Mayo.edu
Reiman
Eric M
EM
Hentz
Joseph G
JG
Osborne
David
D
Alexander
Gene E
GE
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D012333:RNA, Messenger