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Apolipoprotein E 4 Genotype and Gender: Effects on Memory

From the Department of Psychology, San Diego State University (EES, PEG, CM); the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Diego (PEG, CM); and the Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, University of California San Diego and San Diego State University (CM); San Diego, CA. The authors thank Drs. Robert Katzman, Leon Thal, David Salmon, the staff, patients, and volunteers at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, San Diego, CA; and Dr. Timothy Lander, Sally Ferdon, Pamela Dean, Annie Wilkes, Cheryl Bean, Stephanie Solis, Marisabel Salinas, Dr. Barbara Cerf-Ducastel and Joyce Barr for their advice and assistance.

Objective: Episodic recognition memory for odors and visual was assessed in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) 4-positive and 4-negative men and women diagnosed with Alzheimer disease (AD) and a healthy age- and gender-matched comparison group.

Methods: A total of 38 AD patients and 38 age- and gender-matched healthy older adults completed a recognition memory task involving three categories of stimuli: odors, faces, and symbols.

Results: In the healthy comparison group, men who were 4 negative outperformed 4-positive men in recognition memory for odors and committed fewer false-positive errors. However, there were no significant differences between 4-negative and 4-positive women in the comparison group. No significant gender or ApoE status differences were detected in recognition memory for faces or symbols in the comparison group. In patients with AD, 4-negative women outperformed 4-positive women in recognition memory for odors and committed significantly fewer false-positive errors. However, there were no significant differences between 4-positive and 4-negative men. There were no significant gender or ApoE status differences in recognition memory for faces or symbols in AD patients.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate that recognition memory for olfactory stimuli may be particularly impaired in healthy older men with the 4 allele. In patients with AD, odor memory impairments may be less severe in women who are negative for the 4 allele. The results offer new insight into how recognition memory is affected by gender, the 4 allele, and the modality of the stimulus to be remembered in healthy older adults and patients with AD.

Key Words: Alzheimer disease • gender • apolipoprotein 4 • aging • memory • olfaction • false-positive error

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