Neuropsychological Evaluation and Cerebral Blood Flow Effects of Apolipoprotein E4 in Alzheimer's Disease Patients after One Year of Treatment: An Exploratory Study

Azusa Suwa; Keiichiro Nishida; Keita Utsunomiya; Shinpei Nonen; Masafumi Yoshimura; Yoshiteru Takekita; Masataka Wakeno; Aran Tajika; Maki Yoshino; Yosuke Koshikawa; Masaki Kato; Toshihiko Kinoshita

doi:10.1159/000440714

Neuropsychological Evaluation and Cerebral Blood Flow Effects of Apolipoprotein E4 in Alzheimer's Disease Patients after One Year of Treatment: An Exploratory Study

Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2015 Oct 22;5(3):414-23. doi: 10.1159/000440714. eCollection 2015 Sep-Dec.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
² Department of Radiology, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
³ Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences, Hyogo, Japan.
⁴ Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan ; Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Abstract

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is affected by apolipoprotein E (ApoE); however, its effects assessed by means of cognitive tests and by neuroimaging have not been sufficiently studied.

Methods: We administered the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) and single-photon emission computed tomography imaging in patients with AD medicated with donepezil at baseline and after 1 year. Patients were classified as with or without ApoE4 and we evaluated the progress of AD.

Results: Analysis of covariance showed that cerebral blood flow after 1 year in subjects with ApoE4 is significantly reduced in some areas including the left lenticular nucleus, left thalamus, and right hippocampus compared with subjects without ApoE4. Paired t tests showed significantly reduced blood flow in several regions including the right hippocampus in subjects with ApoE4 and significant deterioration of ideational praxis in subjects without ApoE4.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence that supports the notion of ApoE4 playing an important role in the progress of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale; Alzheimer's disease; Apolipoprotein E; Cognitive function; Donepezil; Single-photon emission computed tomography.