Cognitive change and the APOE epsilon 4 allele.

Full Abstract

There is a marked variation in whether people retain sufficient cognitive function to maintain their quality of life and independence in old age, even among those without dementia, so it would be valuable to identify the determinants of normal age-related cognitive change. We have retested non-demented 80-year-olds who were participants in the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932, and find that the variation in their non-pathological cognitive change from age 11 to 80 is related to their apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. This effect of the APOE epsilon 4 allele on normal cognitive ageing may be mediated by a mechanism that is at least partly independent of its predisposing effect towards Alzheimer's disease.

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Author information

Author/s: Deary, Ian J (IJ); Whiteman, Martha C (MC); Pattie, Alison (A); Starr, John M (JM); Hayward, Caroline (C); Wright, Alan F (AF); Carothers, Andrew (A); Whalley, Lawrence J (LJ);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK. i.dreary(-atsign-)ed.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Nature (Nature), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Aug; vol 418 (issue 6901) : pp 932

Dates: Created 2002/08/28; Completed 2002/09/27; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12198535, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

ErratumIn: Nature 2002 Oct 3;419(6906):450.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging - genetics; physiology
Alleles
Alzheimer Disease - genetics; physiopathology
Apolipoprotein E4
Apolipoproteins E - genetics
Child

Child
Cognition - physiology
Dementia - genetics; physiopathology
Genotype
Humans
Intelligence Tests
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Phenotype
Scotland

Associated Chemicals: Apolipoprotein E4 (0) ; Apolipoproteins E (0)

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