APOE effects on cognition from childhood to adolescence.

ABSTRACT: The ?4 allele of APOE is a well-established genetic risk factor for cognitive aging and dementia, but its influence on early life cognition is unknown. Consequently, we assessed associations of APOE genotypes with cognitive performance during 7, 12, and 16 year-assessments in our ongoing Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development (CATSLife). In general, APOE ?4 was associated with lower Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores during childhood and adolescence (e.g., Full Scale IQ was lower by 1.91 points per ?4 allele, d = -0.13), with larger effects in females (e.g., average Full Scale IQ scores were 3.41 points lower in females per each ?4 allele vs. 0.33 points lower in males). Thus, these results suggest that deleterious effects of the APOE ?4 allele are manifested before adulthood, especially in females, and support both early origin theories and differential life-course vulnerabilities for later cognitive impairment.

SUBMITTER: Reynolds CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6800620 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature