title: Gene polymorphisms in prodynorphin (PDYN) are associated with episodic memory in the elderly.
abstract: Cognitive functions show large variation in elderly people and are substantially heritable. Animal studies revealed that dynorphins influence cognition and memory, especially in aged animals. Thus, we tested the effect of four SNPs (rs7272891, rs1997794, rs2235751 and rs910080) and the VNTR promoter polymorphism in the prodynorphin gene (PDYN) on episodic memory and verbal fluency in a large (n = 1619) sample of elderly people (mean age: 80 +/- 3.39 years; range 75-90 years) recruited through the German study on ageing, cognition and dementia in primary care patients (AgeCoDe). We found that carriers of the minor alleles of rs1997794 (P < 0.002) and rs910080 (P < 0.005) presented with higher episodic memory scores than homozygote carriers of the major allele. Also, a three marker haplotype including these two SNPs and rs2235751 was associated with better episodic memory scores. Verbal fluency scores were non-significantly better in carriers of these respective alleles. Thus, our results suggest a role of PDYN gene variations in determining memory function also in elderly humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, Bonn 53105, Germany. heike.koelsch@ukb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kölsch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Andras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilkei-Gorzó
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Toliat
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentzek
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaduszkiewicz
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van den Bussche
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werle
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.forename: Edelgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mösch
authors.forename: Birgitt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daerr
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jessen
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dichgans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D011498:Protein Precursors; C033660:preproenkephalin