Genetic Modulation of Training and Transfer in Older Adults: BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism is Associated with Wider Useful Field of View

Bernhard Hommel,Guido P H Band,Jesse Van Muijden,Lorenza S Colzato

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00199

Abstract

Western society has an increasing proportion of older adults. Increasing age is associated with a general decrease in the control over task-relevant mental processes. In the present study we investigated the possibility that successful transfer of game-based cognitive improvements to untrained tasks in elderly people is modulated by preexisting neuro-developmental factors as genetic variability related to levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an important neuromodulator underlying cognitive processes. We trained participants, genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, on cognitive tasks developed to improve dynamic attention. Pre-training (baseline) and post-training measures of attentional processes (divided and selective attention) were acquired by means of the useful field of view task. As expected, Val/Val homozygous individuals showed larger beneficial transfer effects than Met/-carriers. Our findings support the idea that genetic predisposition modulates transfer effects.

Highlights

The mean age of Western societies is growing rapidly: the proportion of people of 65 years and older will rise from 15% in 2009 to 26% in 2039 and the ratio of retired to working adults will increase from 25 to 49% Central Bureau Statistiek (CBS, 2011)
We already know that some cognitive processes are less impaired while other cognitive processes such a working memory (WM) and reasoning show large decrements with increasing age (Ball et al, 2004; Brehmer et al, 2007; Shing et al, 2010)
To be certain that the three-way interaction involving assessment, group, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was driven by the beneficial effect of Val/Val homozygous in the experimental and not by an eventual benefit of Met/-carriers in the control group, we ran separate ANOVAs for the experimental and control group

Summary

Introduction

The mean age of Western societies is growing rapidly: the proportion of people of 65 years and older will rise from 15% in 2009 to 26% in 2039 and the ratio of retired to working adults will increase from 25 to 49% Central Bureau Statistiek (CBS, 2011). Given this growing population of elderly people it will be important in the near future to understand how cognitive functioning can be preserved and promoted in old age. The genetic setup of an individual matters more the older he or she gets

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