Genetic interaction of APOE and BDNF is associated with changes in cognitive function over 36 months in older adults.

Abstract

The association between human cognitive function and genetic variants of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) vary greatly between studies. Our previous work have shown significant APOE×BDNF interactions with cognitive function at baseline. However, the long-term associations between APOE×BDNF interaction and the changes in cognitive function remain unclear. 464 healthy older adults with genotype data were obtained from longitudinal prospective study, who underwent annual assessment of neuropsychological and health. APOE and BDNF were assessed as predictors of average level and change in cognitive function as well as APOE×BDNF interaction. The APOE ε4 was significantly associated with the increase in episodic memory over 36 months. There were no associations between APOE/BDNF and longitudinal changes in other cognitive domains. Additionally, APOE and BDNF interaction significantly associated with an increase in language processing. APOE and BDNF my be direct or combine together to influence changes in specific cognitive domains in healthy older adults.