title: Apolipoprotein E variants and cognition in healthy individuals: a critical opinion.
abstract: The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a well-established risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). This knowledge has generated interest in the role of ApoE variants in normal cognition. Varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction have been described in non-demented individuals with one or two epsilon4 alleles leading to suggestions that the gene plays a role in normal cognition or helps calibrate the aging process. In this paper, these hypotheses are critically evaluated. It is argued that ApoE variants play no role in cognitive development. Given the differential neurocognitive sequelae of normal aging and AD, we also suggest that accelerated aging is unlikely to account for the pattern of deficits observed in non-demented epsilon4 allele carriers. We conclude that the neuropsychological dysfunction reported in non-demented epsilon4 carriers is most likely to be the result of incipient AD.
authors.affiliation: MRC/UCT Human Genetics Research Unit, University of Cape Town Medical School, Observatory 7925, South Africa. js@cormack.uct.ac.za
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savitz
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solms
authors.forename: Rajkumar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramesar
mesh_terms: D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E