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P1‐376: Effects of the Apolipoprotein E genotype on memory performance and brain morphology in young healthy adults
Author(s) -
Hampel Harald,
Miller Julia,
Scheibe Monika,
Fusser Fabian,
Matura Silke,
OertelKnöchel Viola,
Karakaya Tarik,
Magerkurth Jörg,
Prvulovic David
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.657
Subject(s) - fractional anisotropy , california verbal learning test , psychology , apolipoprotein e , posterior cingulate , white matter , diffusion mri , verbal memory , voxel based morphometry , episodic memory , parahippocampal gyrus , verbal learning , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , brain morphometry , temporal lobe , audiology , neuroscience , medicine , pathology , cognition , magnetic resonance imaging , disease , radiology , epilepsy
Background: The apolipoprotein E e4 (ApoE4) genotype is the highest single genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has been associated with an increased risk of memory decline in healthy elderly subjects. Moreover, regional brain volume reductions have been observed in e4carriers relative to non-carriers in brain areas that are known to be affected by AD pathology, such as the medial temporal lobe and the posterior cingulate cortex. However, results from studies on the effects of the ApoE4 genotype in young healthy subjects have been conflicting. The aim of the present study was to assess grey matter volume, microstructural white matter fiber tract integrity as well as various memory performance indices in young healthy ApoE4 carriers compared with non-carriers. Methods: 15 ApoE4 carriers, aged 27.4 6 5.8 years and 15 non-carriers, matched in age and education underwent high-resolution 3D-anatomical MRI imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and neuropsychological assessment including the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the working memory subtests of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) was used to identify areas of ApOE4-related differences in brain volume. Additionally, DTI data was analysedwith Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to reveal possible differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) between groups. Results: Compared to controls, APOE e4 carriers showed impaired delayed recall (p 1⁄4 0.04) of verbal material (CVLT word list). Working memory and visual memory performance, however were not affected. Structural analysis with VBM and DTI did not reveal any significant differences in gray matter and white matter volume or in FA between groups. Conclusions: The results indicate impaired performance in delayed recall of verbal material associated with APOE e4 in the absence of underlying brain morphological changes. Further investigations on functional dynamic biomarkers are required in order to test for possible aberrant functional activation patterns and for potential functional network connectivity alterations underlying impaired episodic memory performance in young genetic risk carriers.