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Apolipoprotein E: non-cognitive symptoms and cognitive decline in late onset Alzheimer's disease
C Holmes1, R Levy, D M McLoughlin
1Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Objectives:
To determine the association between the epsilon2 and epsilon4 alleles of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and independent measures of cognitive decline and non-cognitive symptomatology in late onset Alzheimer's disease.
Methods:
The frequency of the epsilon2 and epsilon4 alleles of ApoE and their association with measures of cognitive decline and non-cognitive symptomatology were assessed in a population based case register study of 164 patients with late onset Alzheimer's disease from the east Lambeth and south Southwark districts of south London.
Results:
Analysis of a wide range of non-cognitive symptoms against ApoE epsilon4 genotype showed no significant association but a positive relation was found between ApoE epsilon2 genotype and depressive symptomatology (P = 0.004). No relation was found between measurements of cognitive decline and the presence of the ApoE epsilon4 allele. A trend for decreasing age at onset of 3 to 4 years in carriers of the ApoE epsilon4 allele was found, confirming earlier studies.
Conclusion:
Presence of the epsilon4 allele of ApoE is associated with an earlier age at onset but does not seem to be related to either a more severe psychopathology or a more rapid progression of the illness. The epsilon2 allele of ApoE is associated with depressive symptomatology in late onset Alzheimer's disease.