Total and regional gray matter volume is not related to APOE*E4 status in a community sample of middle-aged individuals.
BACKGROUND
The APOE*E4 allele has been associated with greater gray matter atrophy and with Alzheimer's disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the relationship between cerebral gray matter atrophy and APOE*E4 genotype was also present in a community-dwelling, nondemented 60- to 64-year-old cohort.


METHODS
Hippocampal and amygdalar volumes were manually traced and analyzed on 331 cranial T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to detect differences associated with APOE*E4 genotype. Voxel-based morphometric (VBM) analyses were applied to detect regional gray matter volume differences.


RESULTS
No total, hippocampal, or amygdalar gray matter volume difference was detected between APOE*E4 carriers and noncarriers.


CONCLUSIONS
In nondemented 60- to 64-year-olds, there was no association between APOE genotype and gray matter volume using both region-of-interest analysis and VBM.
Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. nicolas.cherbuin@anu.edu.au
Nicolas
N
Cherbuin
Kaarin J
KJ
Anstey
Perminder S
PS
Sachdev
Jerome J
JJ
Maller
Chantal
C
Meslin
Holly A
HA
Mack
Wei
W
Wen
Simon
S
Easteal
D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4