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Head circumference, apolipoprotein E genotype and cognition in the Bavarian School Sisters Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

R. Perneczky ,
P. Alexopoulos ,
S. Wagenpfeil ,
H. Bickel  and
A. Kurz
R. Perneczky*
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, 22, Ismaninger Street, 81675München, Germany
P. Alexopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, 22, Ismaninger Street, 81675München, Germany
S. Wagenpfeil
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, 22, Ismaninger Street, 81675München, Germany
H. Bickel
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, 22, Ismaninger Street, 81675München, Germany
A. Kurz
Affiliation:
Department of psychiatry and psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, 22, Ismaninger Street, 81675München, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 8941 404 214; fax: +49 8941 404 888. robert.perneczky@lrz.tum.de (R. Perneczky).
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Abstract

Background

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele is correlated with an earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms; larger head circumference has been associated with an individual resilience against cognitive impairment.

Methods

We explored if larger head circumference attenuates the effect of the APOE ɛ4 allele on cognition in 380 Catholic sisters covering the spectrum from normal cognitive performance to severe dementia.

Results

Linear regression analysis, adjusting for risk factors for cognitive decline, revealed that APOE ɛ4 was correlated with worse cognition and that larger head circumference attenuated the negative effect of the ɛ4 allele on cognitive performance.

Conclusion

Larger head circumference (i.e. larger brain size) seems to be associated with greater resilience against genetic determinants of cognitive impairment, possibly due to enhanced brain or cognitive reserve.

Keywords

Brain reserveCognitive reserveAlzheimer's diseaseGenderGeneticsRisk factors
Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 27 , Issue 3 , April 2012 , pp. 219 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2012

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Footnotes

1

These two authors contributed equally.

References

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