Bloss Cinnamon S, Delis Dean C, Salmon David P, Bondi Mark W
San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.
Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Nov 15;64(10):904-6. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.07.004. Epub 2008 Aug 22.
The epsilon4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE-epsilon4) and a family history (+FH) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are both risk factors for the development of AD. Although studies to identify a preclinical phase of AD have led to evidence of APOE-epsilon4- and +FH-related differences in brain and cognitive functioning in healthy adults, the relative influence of these factors in children is unknown.
To investigate this issue, school-age children (n = 109) received standardized achievement tests, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (Copy Condition; RCFT-CC), assessment of family medical history, and buccal swab testing to determine their APOE genotype.
Analyses revealed that, relative to children without these risk factors, children who possess both an APOE-epsilon4 allele and a +FH of AD and/or significant memory problems (MP) obtained lower scores on nearly every cognitive test administered.
Findings suggest that when both AD risk factors are present, cognition may be adversely affected as early as childhood. Thus, risk factors for a disorder of pathological aging (i.e., AD) may have implications for the etiology of certain types of learning difficulties in children.
载脂蛋白E基因的ε4等位基因（APOE-ε4）以及阿尔茨海默病（AD）家族史（+FH）均为AD发病的危险因素。尽管旨在确定AD临床前期的研究已得出证据，表明健康成年人中存在与APOE-ε4和+FH相关的脑功能及认知功能差异，但这些因素在儿童中的相对影响尚不清楚。
为研究此问题，学龄儿童（n = 109）接受了标准化成就测试、雷伊-奥斯特里赫复杂图形测试（临摹条件；RCFT-CC）、家族病史评估以及颊拭子检测以确定其APOE基因型。
分析显示，与无这些危险因素的儿童相比，同时拥有APOE-ε4等位基因以及AD家族史和/或显著记忆问题（MP）的儿童在几乎每项认知测试中得分更低。
研究结果表明，当两种AD危险因素同时存在时，认知功能可能早在儿童期就受到不利影响。因此，病理性衰老疾病（即AD）的危险因素可能与儿童某些类型学习困难的病因有关。
