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A distinctive interaction between chronic anxiety and problem solving in asymptomatic APOE e4 homozygotes
Richard J Caselli1, Eric M Reiman, Joseph G Hentz
1Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, University of Arizona, AZ, USA. Caselli.Richard@Mayo.edu
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
|September 21, 2004
Summary
Chronic anxiety significantly impairs problem-solving skills, especially in individuals with two copies of the apolipoprotein E e4 gene (APOE e4 HMZs). This highlights a critical link between anxiety and cognitive decline in healthy APOE e4 homozygotes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Psychology
Background:
- Apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 genotype is a known risk factor for cognitive impairment.
- The impact of chronic anxiety on cognitive function in relation to APOE e4 status is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chronic anxiety and problem-solving abilities.
- To examine how this relationship differs among APOE e4 homozygotes (HMZs), heterozygotes, and noncarriers (NC).
Main Methods:
- Correlated Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) measures with the Personality Assessment Inventory Anxiety Scale (ANX) scores.
- Compared results across three groups (APOE e4 HMZs, heterozygotes, NC) matched for age, education, and gender (n=42 each).
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences were found between APOE e4 HMZs and NC in the regression slope of WCST scores on ANX.
- Chronic anxiety negatively affected cognitive skills in all groups.
- APOE e4 HMZs showed a significantly greater decline in problem-solving skills associated with anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Chronic anxiety adversely affects cognitive skills across all APOE genotypes.
- Cognitively normal APOE e4 homozygotes are particularly vulnerable to anxiety-related declines in problem-solving abilities.