Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 and change in cognitive functioning in community-dwelling older adults.

The relationship between apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 and change in cognition was examined in older men (n = 247; age = 75.0 +/- 3.5 years) and women (n = 79; age = 70.8 +/- 4.9 years) free of history of stroke. Participants were examined again 4.0 +/- 0.5 years later. Exclusion criteria were (1) initial scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination of 23 or less or (2) the presence of the APOE 2/4 genotype. Men with epsilon4 showed greater decline in some measures of executive function and verbal memory compared to those without epsilon4; women with epsilon4 showed greater decline in Trail Making test performance relative to women without the allele. A significant gender x APOE epsilon4 interaction was seen for change in performance on short delay cued recall. These results suggest that APOE epsilon4 is associated with cognitive decline differently in older adult men and women.