title: Conscientiousness is Negatively Associated with Grey Matter Volume in Young APOE ɛ4-Carriers.
abstract: The etiology of late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) depends on multiple factors, among which the APOE ɛ4 allele is the most adverse genetic determinant and conscientiousness represents an influential personality trait. A potential association of both factors with brain structure in young adulthood may constitute a constellation that sets the course toward or against the subtle disease progression of LOAD that starts decades before clinical manifestation. Hence, in the present study, we examined the modulating effects of APOE ɛ4 on the relation between personality dimensions, including conscientiousness, and total grey matter volume (GMV) in young healthy adults using an a priori genotyping design. 105 participants completed an inventory assessing the Five Factor Model of Personality (NEO-FFI) and a structural MRI scan. Total GMV was estimated using both Freesurfer as well as VBM8. Across all participants, total GMV was positively associated with extraversion and negatively related to age. In APOE ɛ4-carriers- but not in APOE ɛ4-non-carriers- conscientiousness was negatively associated with total GMV. In line with the hypothesis of antagonistic pleiotropy of the APOE ɛ4 allele, this result suggests that young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may particularly benefit from cognitive advantages and thus have a lower need to engage in conscientious behavior. In this subset of young APOE ɛ4-carriers, the reduction in conscientiousness could then bring along adverse health behavior in the long run, potentiating the risk for LOAD. Hence, young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may be at a particularly high risk for LOAD.
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.|Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.affiliation: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.|Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Axmacher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.|Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation/Center for Information in BioMedicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montag
mesh_terms: D053318:Apolipoprotein E3 / Q000235:genetics; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009929:Organ Size; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053318:Apolipoprotein E3; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Freesurfer; NEO-FFI; apolipoprotein E; big five; personality; voxel-based morphometry