Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is under substantial genetic influence. To better understand the genetic influence on component phenotypes of AD, we estimated the heritability (h2) of abstract reasoning and examined its relation with apolipoprotein Ε4 (APOE-Ε4). Methods: We studied abstract reasoning in 1,116 individuals from 210 Caribbean Hispanic families with late onset AD, using the similari- ties subtest scores from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. We computed h2, then performed analysis of variance to examine the effect of APOE-Ε4. Results: Abstract reasoning was highly heritable (h2unadjusted = 79.9%). After adjusting for covariates, the h2 was reduced to 32.6%, with education accounting for 40.8% of the variance. The APOE-Ε4 allele had no effect. Conclusion: Abstract reasoning was strongly influenced by genetic factors and education. Genes other than APOE contribute to the inheritance of abstract reasoning ability.

Keywords:
Heritability, Abstract reasoning, Alzheimer disease, Cognitive reserve, Neuropsychology, APOE
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© 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel
2007
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