Cerebrospinal Fluid Apolipoprotein E Concentration and Severity of Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Background/Objective: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma levels have been previously reported in patients with AD. We hypothesized that CSF apoE levels of patients with newly diagnosed AD might be associated with their cognitive performance. Methods: Patients with AD (N = 71) enrolled into an observational study underwent neuropsychological testing (Consortium to Establish a Registry for AD [CERAD] plus) at time of diagnosis. The CSF was obtained, and apoE concentrations were determined. Generalized linear models were constructed to assess the associations of apoE and neuropsychological measures while adjusting for important potential confounders. Results: No association of CSF apoE levels and cognitive function could be demonstrated. Still, the use of neuroleptic drugs, female gender, preprogression time, and lower education were linked to worse cognitive function in some domains. Conclusion: The CSF apoE appears not to be suitable as a biochemical surrogate of cognitive function in AD under the given circumstances. By means of longitudinal analyses, potential associations with the velocity of decline will be investigated in the near future.