Abstract
We investigated the association between APOE ε4 status and spatial navigation in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and assessed the role of hippocampal volume in this association. Participants were 74 patients with clinically confirmed aMCI (33 APOE ε4 noncarriers, 26 heterozygous, and 15 homozygous ε4 carriers). Body-centered (egocentric) and world-centered (allocentric) spatial navigation in a computerized human analogue of the Morris Water Maze was assessed. Brain MRI with subsequent automated hippocampal volumetry was included. Groups were similar in neuropsychological profile. Controlling for age, sex, education, and free memory recall, the APOE ε4 carriers performed more poorly on all spatial navigation subtasks (ps < .05). APOE ε4 homozygotes performed worse than heterozygotes (p = .021). Right hippocampal volume accounted for the differences in allocentric and delayed subtasks (ps > .05), but not in the egocentric subtask (p < .001). Using an easy-to-use, computer-based tool to assess spatial navigation, we found spatial navigation deficits to worsen in a dose-dependent manner as a function of APOE ε4 status. This was at least partially due to differences in right hippocampal volume.
Published Version
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