title: The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderates the relationship between cognitive reserve and executive function.
abstract: The concept of cognitive reserve (CR) has been proposed to account for observed discrepancies between pathology and its clinical manifestation due to underlying differences in brain structure and function. In 433 healthy older adults participating in the Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project, we investigated whether common polymorphic variations in apolipoprotein E (APOE) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) influenced the association between CR contributors and cognitive function in older adults. We show that BDNF Val66Met moderates the association between CR and executive function. CR accounted for 8.5% of the variance in executive function in BDNF Val homozygotes, but CR was a nonsignificant predictor in BDNF Met carriers. APOE polymorphisms were not linked to the influence of CR on cognitive function. This result implicates BDNF in having an important role in capacity for building or accessing CR.
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia [2] Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: 1] Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia [2] School of Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: 1] Neuroepidemiology of Ageing Research Unit, Imperial College, London, UK [2] Inserm, U1061 Neuropsychiatry, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia [2] Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: 1] School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia [2] Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vickers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D003071:Cognition; D058245:Cognitive Reserve; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human