J Korean Geriatr Psychiatry.  2023 Apr;27(1):30-36. 10.47825/jkgp.2023.27.1.30.

The Association of APOE e4 Genotype With Cognition, Brain Volume, Glucose Metabolism, and Amyloid Deposition in AD

• Yun WB
• Lee YM
• Park JM
• Lee BD
• Moon E
• Suh H
• Kim K
• Kim YJ
• Lee H
• Kim HJ
• Park K
• Choi KU

• KMID: 2542290
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.47825/jkgp.2023.27.1.30

Abstract

Objective
The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 genotype with cognition, brain volume, glucose metabolism, and amyloid deposition in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).
Methods
This is cross-sectional study of 69 subjects with AD. All subjects were divided into carriers and non-carriers of the e4 allele. Forty APOE e4 carriers and 29 APOE e4 non-carriers underwent neuropsychological, structural magnetic resonance imaging, [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scans (PET) and [¹⁸F]florbetaben amyloid PET. Analysis of co-variance was conducted to compare the differences on cognition, brain volume, glucose metabolism and amyloid deposition between APOE e4 carriers and non-carriers after controlling demographics.
Results
APOE e4 carriers had 50% lower scores of Seoul Verbal Learning Test (delayed recall) compared to non-carriers (0.88±1.65 vs. 1.76±1.75, p<0.05). However, APOE e4 carriers performed better on other cognitive tests than non-carriers (Korean version of Boston Naming Test [11.04±2.55 vs. 9.66±2.82, p<0.05], Rey Complex Figure Test [25.73±8.56 vs. 20.15±10.82, p<0.05], and Stroop test [color response] [48.28±26.33 vs. 31.56±27.03, p<0.05]). APOE e4 carriers had slightly smaller hippocampal volume than non-carriers (3.09±0.38 vs. 3.32±0.38, p<0.05), but greater total brain cortical thickness (1.45±1.55 vs. 1.37±1.24, p<0.05). Amyloid deposition did not differ significantly between APOE e4 carriers and non-carriers, and no signifi-cant difference in glucose metabolism was found between groups.
Conclusion
We found that APOE e4 genotype is associated with cognition, brain volume in AD, suggesting that APOE e4 genotype could play an important role in the underlying pathogenesis of AD.

Keyword

Apolipoprotein E e4; Cognition; Brain volume; Alzheimer disease