The effect of the ApoE genotype on the association between head circumference and cognition.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the ApoE genotype on the association between head circumference (HC) and cognition.


METHODS
Cross-sectional factorial design in which Korean version of Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score was the dependent variable with ApoE4 status as one factor and HC as the other.


METHODS
A longitudinal cohort study of the Korea Health 21 R&D Project Clinical Research Center for Dementia.


METHODS
A total of 1,902 Koreans (599 men and 1303 women) aged over 60 years.


METHODS
Cognitive function was assessed by the K-MMSE. HC and ApoE genotyping were carried out on all subjects.


RESULTS
The HC was correlated with the K-MMSE scores (r = 0.22, df = 1,525, p < 0.01), age (r = -0.11, df = 1,521, p < 0.01), educational level (r = 0.30, df = 1,525, p < 0.01), height (r = 0.50, df = 1,384, p < 0.01), and weight (r = 0.49, df = 1,445, p < 0.01). On analysis of covariance, the interaction of ApoE with HC on K-MMSE was observed after adjusting for the age, sex, educational level, height, and weight (F = 2.527, df = 4, 1, 364, p = 0.039). A test of simple main effect according to ApoE status showed that, in the ApoE epsilon 4(-) group, the mean of K-MMSE between HC quintile was not different (F = 0.517, df = 4, 1,148, p = 0.723). But in the ApoE epsilon 4(+) group, the mean of K-MMSE between HC quintile was significantly different. (F = 4.163, df = 4, 211, p = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
All these findings suggest the possibility that the presence of ApoE epsilon 4 affects cognitive function only when the brain reserve is low. In other words, these findings support the structural "brain reserve hypothesis," and the effects are more pronounced in genetically predisposed individuals.
Kim
Kyung Ran
KR
Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Kang Soo
KS
Kim
Eun A
EA
Cheong
Hae-Kwan
HK
Oh
Byoung Hoon
BH
Hong
Chang Hyung
CH
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis
D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D001057:Apolipoproteins E