Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Dementia

Cognitive resilience in APOE*ε4 carriers—is race important?

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 11, pages 190–191 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

The apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE*ε4) allele is a well-established risk factor for cognitive decline, particularly among white individuals. A recent study highlights factors associated with cognitive resilience in both black and white APOE*ε4 carriers. Despite racial differences in the frequency and impact of APOE*ε4, resilience factors are similar across races.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Bretsky, P., Guralnik, J. M., Launer, L., Albert, M. & Seeman, T. E. The role of APOE-ε4 in longitudinal cognitive decline: MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging. Neurology 60, 1077–1081 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kuller, L. H. et al. Relationship between ApoE, MRI findings, and cognitive function in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Stroke 29, 388–398 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Plassman, B. L., Williams, J. W. Jr, Burke, J. R., Holsinger, T. & Benjamin, S. Systematic review: factors associated with risk for and possible prevention of cognitive decline in later life. Ann. Intern. Med. 153, 182–193 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kaup, A. R. et al. Cognitive resilience to apolipoprotein E ε4: contributing factors in black and white older adults. JAMA Neurol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.3978.

  5. Davis T. C. et al. Rapid estimate of adult literacy in medicine: a shortened screening instrument. Fam. Med. 25, 391–395 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Feskens, E. J. et al. Apolipoprotein e4 allele and cognitive decline in elderly men. BMJ 309, 1202–1206 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kim, J., Basak, J. M. & Holtzman, D. M. The role of apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's disease. Neuron 63, 287–303 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Barnes, L. L. & Bennett, D. A. Alzheimer's disease in African Americans: risk factors and challenges for the future. Health Aff. (Millwood) 33, 580–586 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Williams, D. R., Yu, Y., Jackson, J. S. & Anderson, N. B. Racial differences in physical and mental health: socio-economic status, stress, and discrimination. J. Health Psychol. 2, 335–351 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Barnes, L. L. et al. Perceived discrimination and cognition in older African Americans. J. Int. Neuropsychol. Soc. 18, 856–865 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, 600 S. Paulina Street, Suite 1038, Chicago, 60612, IL, USA

    Lisa L. Barnes & David A. Bennett

Authors
  1. Lisa L. Barnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David A. Bennett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa L. Barnes.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Barnes, L., Bennett, D. Cognitive resilience in APOE*ε4 carriers—is race important?. Nat Rev Neurol 11, 190–191 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.38

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2015.38

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing