title: Rate of progression of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: effect of butyrylcholinesterase K gene variation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the K variant allele of butyrylcholinesterase have a slower rate of cognitive decline than those without the K variant allele of butyrylcholinesterase.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cognitive status of 339 community based subjects with AD was assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination at baseline and yearly over a three year follow up period. The rates of cognitive decline of subjects with and without the K variant allele were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Presence of the K allele was associated with a slower average rate of cognitive decline in subjects with severe AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding is consistent with the suggestion that the K variant of butyrylcholinesterase has an important role in disease progression in AD, and this may have implications for treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Southampton, Clinical Neurosciences Research Division, Memory Assessment and Research Centre, Moorgreen Hospital, Botley Road, Southampton, UK. c.holmes@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: David Smith
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beaumont
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadeem Khan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lovestone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCulley
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Munoz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russ
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Del Ser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Warden
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase