International journal of geriatric psychiatry
-
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Nov 1998
Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele in association with global cognitive performance and CSF markers in Alzheimer's disease.
To better define the influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 genotype on the cognitive and biochemical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD), cross-sectional analysis of global cognitive measures and cerebrospinal fluid studies gathered on AD subjects at a tertiary care facility between 1986 and 1997 was carried out. The 112 AD patients examined included 62 women and 50 men with a mean (SD) age of 64.2 (9.2) years. Patient demographics; illness onset age and duration, education level and global cognitive measures were recorded systematically. ⋯ No differences were found with regard to ApoE epsilon 4 status and measures of disease, duration of illness or global cognitive performance. Although CSF tau was elevated in our sample (575.4 +/- 290.3 pg/ml), ApoE epsilon 4 status did not influence total CSF tau or neurotransmitter metabolite levels. ApoE epsilon 4 genotype had no impact on a variety of illness severity, cognitive and CSF examinations in the largest cross-sectional analysis of AD subjects yet reported.