Association between nerve growth factor gene polymorphism and executive dysfunction in Japanese patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To address the clinical neurocognitive roles of nerve growth factor (NGF) genetic polymorphism in early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (A-MCI), we investigated the association between this single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and executive dysfunction as a nonmemory cognitive impairment.


METHODS
Among 200 outpatients with dementia and MCI whose NGF SNP rs6330 genotype was identified, those with A-MCI (n = 35) and early-stage AD (n = 67) were recruited and divided into three groups according to genotype (C/C: n = 58, C/T: n = 39, T/T: n = 5). Then, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) scores were compared among the three (C/C, C/T, T/T) or two (C/C, T carrier) genotype groups.


RESULTS
Among the subtests, a significant difference was only noted for the go/no-go scores (p < 0.01) between C/C and T carriers. However, no significant differences in the demographic variables and other neuropsychological subtest scores reflecting attentional and memory function were observed among the genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
Regarding the functional roles of neurotrophin polymorphisms as they relate to executive dysfunction, the NGF gene rs6330 might influence the inhibition task in Japanese patients with early-stage AD or A-MCI.
Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of DNA Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. t.nagata@jikei.ac.jp
Tomoyuki
T
Nagata
Shunichiro
S
Shinagawa
Kazutaka
K
Nukariya
Ritsuko
R
Nakayama
Kazuhiko
K
Nakayama
Hisashi
H
Yamada
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000647:Amnesia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
D020932:Nerve Growth Factor