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Correlations between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 gene dose and whole brain atrophy rates.
- Source :
-
The American journal of psychiatry [Am J Psychiatry] 2007 Jun; Vol. 164 (6), pp. 916-21. - Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between whole brain atrophy rates and three levels of genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease in cognitively normal persons. The authors previously found accelerated whole brain atrophy rates in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease by computing changes in brain volume from sequential magnetic resonance images (MRIs).<br />Methods: The authors assessed 36 late-middle-aged persons from three genetic groups: those with two, one, and no copies of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele, a common Alzheimer's disease susceptibility gene. The participants had clinical ratings, neuropsychological tests, and volumetric T1-weighted MRIs during a baseline visit and again approximately 2 years later. Two different image-analysis techniques, brain boundary shift integration and iterative principal component analysis, were used to compute whole brain atrophy rates.<br />Results: While there were no baseline, follow-up, or between-visit differences in the clinical ratings or neuropsychological test scores among the three subject groups, whole brain atrophy rates were significantly greater in the epsilon4 homozygote group than in noncarriers and were significantly correlated with epsilon4 gene dose (i.e., the number of epsilon4 alleles in a person's APOE genotype).<br />Conclusion: Since APOE epsilon4 gene dose is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and a younger median age at dementia onset, this study suggests an association between the risk of Alzheimer's disease and accelerated brain atrophy rates before the onset of cognitive impairment.
- Subjects :
- Age of Onset
Aged
Alleles
Alzheimer Disease diagnosis
Atrophy pathology
Female
Gene Frequency
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Genotype
Heterozygote
Homozygote
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Principal Component Analysis
Risk Factors
Time Factors
Alzheimer Disease genetics
Alzheimer Disease pathology
Apolipoprotein E4 genetics
Brain pathology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0002-953X
- Volume :
- 164
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The American journal of psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 17541051
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.916