TY  - JOUR
AU  - Kunz, Lukas
AU  - Reuter, Martin
AU  - Axmacher, Nikolai
AU  - Montag, Christian
TI  - Conscientiousness is Negatively Associated with Grey Matter Volume in Young APOE ɛ4-Carriers.
JO  - Journal of Alzheimer's disease
VL  - 56
IS  - 3
SN  - 1387-2877
CY  - Amsterdam
PB  - IOS Press
M1  - DZNE-2020-05395
SP  - 1135-1144
PY  - 2017
AB  - The etiology of late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) depends on multiple factors, among which the APOE ɛ4 allele is the most adverse genetic determinant and conscientiousness represents an influential personality trait. A potential association of both factors with brain structure in young adulthood may constitute a constellation that sets the course toward or against the subtle disease progression of LOAD that starts decades before clinical manifestation. Hence, in the present study, we examined the modulating effects of APOE ɛ4 on the relation between personality dimensions, including conscientiousness, and total grey matter volume (GMV) in young healthy adults using an a priori genotyping design. 105 participants completed an inventory assessing the Five Factor Model of Personality (NEO-FFI) and a structural MRI scan. Total GMV was estimated using both Freesurfer as well as VBM8. Across all participants, total GMV was positively associated with extraversion and negatively related to age. In APOE ɛ4-carriers- but not in APOE ɛ4-non-carriers- conscientiousness was negatively associated with total GMV. In line with the hypothesis of antagonistic pleiotropy of the APOE ɛ4 allele, this result suggests that young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may particularly benefit from cognitive advantages and thus have a lower need to engage in conscientious behavior. In this subset of young APOE ɛ4-carriers, the reduction in conscientiousness could then bring along adverse health behavior in the long run, potentiating the risk for LOAD. Hence, young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may be at a particularly high risk for LOAD.
KW  - Apolipoprotein E3: genetics
KW  - Apolipoprotein E4: genetics
KW  - Brain: diagnostic imaging
KW  - Female
KW  - Genotyping Techniques
KW  - Gray Matter: diagnostic imaging
KW  - Heterozygote
KW  - Humans
KW  - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
KW  - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW  - Male
KW  - Multivariate Analysis
KW  - Organ Size
KW  - Personality: genetics
KW  - Self Report
KW  - Young Adult
KW  - Apolipoprotein E3 (NLM Chemicals)
KW  - Apolipoprotein E4 (NLM Chemicals)
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - pmid:28106551
DO  - DOI:10.3233/JAD-160854
UR  - https://pub.dzne.de/record/139073
ER  -