A single nucleotide polymorphism associated with reduced alcohol intake in the RASGRF2 gene predicts larger cortical volumes but faster longitudinal ventricular expansion in the elderly.

ABSTRACT: A recent genome-wide association meta-analysis showed a suggestive association between alcohol intake in humans and a common single nucleotide polymorphism in the ras-specific guanine nucleotide releasing factor 2 gene. Here, we tested whether this variant - associated with lower alcohol consumption - showed associations with brain structure and longitudinal ventricular expansion over time, across two independent elderly cohorts, totaling 1,032 subjects. We first examined a large sample of 738 elderly participants with neuroimaging and genetic data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI1). Then, we assessed the generalizability of the findings by testing this polymorphism in a replication sample of 294 elderly subjects from a continuation of the first ADNI project (ADNI

SUBMITTER: Roussotte FF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3867747 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature