Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Apolipoprotein E E4 allele (APOE E4) and slow gait are independently associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it is unknown whether their coexistence is associated with poorer cognitive performance and its underlying mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases.
METHODS
Gait speed, APOE E4, cognition, and neuroimaging were assessed in 480 older adults with neurodegeneration. Participants were grouped by APOE E4 presence and slow gait. Mediation analyses were conducted to determine if brain structures could explain the link between these factors and cognitive performance.
RESULTS
APOE E4 carriers with slow gait had the lowest global cognitive performance and smaller gray matter volumes compared to non-APOE E4 carriers with normal gait. Coexistence of APOE E4 and slow gait best predicted global and domain-specific poorer cognitive performances, mediated by smaller gray matter volume.
DISCUSSION
Gait slowness in APOE E4 carriers with neurodegenerative diseases may indicate extensive gray matter changes associated with poor cognition.
Highlights
APOE E4 and slow gait are risk factors for cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.
Slow gait and smaller gray matter volumes are associated, independently of APOE E4.
Worse cognition in APOE E4 carriers with slow gait is explained by smaller GM volume.
Gait slowness in APOE E4 carriers indicates poorer cognition-related brain changes.
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This post is Copyright: Ryota Sakurai,
Frederico Pieruccini‐Faria,
Benjamin Cornish,
Julia Fraser,
Malcolm A. Binns,
Derek Beaton,
Allison Ann Dilliott,
Donna Kwan,
Joel Ramirez,
Brian Tan,
Christopher J. M. Scott,
Kelly M. Sunderland,
Carmela Tartaglia,
Elizabeth Finger,
Lorne Zinman,
Morris Freedman,
Paula M. McLaughlin,
Richard H. Swartz,
Sean Symons,
Anthony E. Lang,
Robert Bartha,
Sandra E. Black,
Mario Masellis,
Robert A. Hegele,
William McIlroy,
ONDRI Investigators,
Manuel Montero‐Odasso | March 12, 2024