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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Cognitive function and apolipoprotein E in very old adults
— findings from the Nun Study | | Author(s) | Kathryn P Riley, David A Snowdon, Ann M Saunders |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 55B, no 2, March 2000 |
| Pages | pp S69-S75 |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Cognitive processes ; Older women ; Ministers of religion ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | The e-4 allele apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and with milder forms of cognitive impairment. The possible absence of the e-4 allele being predictive of maintaining high cognitive function in very old people was investigated using data from the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of ageing and AD in 678 American Catholic sisters. 241 participants aged 75 to 98 met criteria of high cognitive function (as measured by CERAD - the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) for this part of the study. 62% of the participants maintained intact scores on the five CERAD tests throughout their participation. Life table analyses indicated that those without APOE e-4 allele spent more time with intact cognitive function than those with the e-4 allele. Those without the e-4 allele had half the risk of losing their intact status during the study when compared with those with the e-4 allele. Although the presence or absence of the e-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. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000825216 A |
| Classmark | EA: DA: BD: XR: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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