Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
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The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 55:S69-S75 (2000)
© 2000 The Gerontological Society of America


RESEARCH ARTICLE

Cognitive Function and Apolipoprotein E in Very Old Adults

Findings From the Nun Study

Kathryn P. Rileya,b, David A. Snowdona,b, Ann M. Saundersc, Allen D. Rosesc, James A. Mortimerd and Nuwan Nanayakkaraa

a Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
b Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington
c Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
d Institute on Aging, University of South Florida, Tampa

Kathryn P. Riley, 303 Sanders-Brown Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0230 E-mail: kriley{at}aging.coa.uky.edu.

Objectives. The {epsilon}4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been associated with Alzheimer's disease and with milder forms of cognitive impairment. We investigated the possibility that the absence of the {epsilon}4 allele may predict the maintenance of high cognitive function among very old individuals.

Methods. Our data are from the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer's disease in 678 Catholic sisters. All sisters participate in annual functional exams that include the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) battery of cognitive tests. High cognitive function was defined as intact scores on five of the CERAD tests. A total of 241 participants aged 75 to 98 met this criterion at the first exam.

Results. Findings showed that 62% of the 241 participants maintained intact scores on the five CERAD tests throughout their participation in the study. Life table analyses indicated that those without the APOE {epsilon}4 allele spent more time with intact cognitive function than those with the {epsilon}4 allele . Cox regression analyses indicated that those without the {epsilon}4 allele had half the risk of losing their intact status during the study when compared with those with the {epsilon}4 allele (p < .01).

Discussion. Our findings suggest that the APOE {epsilon}4 allele may be included among the variables that predict high cognitive function in cognitively intact, very old adults. Although the presence or absence of the {epsilon}4 allele is known to be related to the risk of dementia, it also appears to be related to maintaining high levels of cognitive function in old age.







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