White matter microstructure is altered in cognitively normal middle-aged APOE-ε4 homozygotes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE-ε4) is the strongest genetic factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. During middle age, cognitively healthy APOE-ε4 carriers already show several brain alterations that resemble those of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but to a subtler degree. These include microstructural white matter (WM) changes that have been proposed as one of the earliest structural events in the AD cascade. However, previous studies have focused mainly on comparison of APOE-ε4 carriers vs noncarriers. Therefore, the extent and magnitude of the brain alterations in healthy ε4 homozygotes, who are the individuals at highest risk, remain to be characterized in detail.

Methods

We examined mean, axial, and radial water diffusivity (MD, AxD, and RD, r

SUBMITTER: Operto G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5968505 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature