title: The apolipoprotein E gene and its age-specific effects on cognitive function.
abstract: The E4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is a well-established determinant of Alzheimer's disease but its relation to cognitive function is much less understood. We studied the age-specific effects of the APOE*E4 allele on cognitive function and cardiovascular risk factors in 2208 related individuals. APOE*E4 allele was significantly associated with reduced test scores for Adult Verbal Learning Test, particularly on the memory and learning sub domains, in persons older than 50 years of age. The effect of APOE*E4 was independent of the effect of APOE*E4 on vascular risk factors and most pronounced on learning ability. Our findings suggest that APOE*E4 has an effect on cognitive function predominantly in the elderly, independent of vascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Luba M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuur
authors.forename: Pascual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Juan
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isaacs
authors.forename: Kristel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sleegers
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.forename: Irina V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Zorkoltseva
authors.forename: Tatiana I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Axenovich
authors.forename: Jacqueline C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Witteman
authors.forename: A Cecile J W
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van Swieten
authors.forename: Yurii S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Aulchenko
authors.forename: Ben A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Oostra
authors.forename: Cornelia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Duijn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol