Nicholas G. Dowell1,
Simon L. Evans2, Torsten Ruest2, Paul S. Tofts1,
Sarah L. King2, Naji Tabet3, Jenny M. Rusted2
1CISC,
Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom; 2School
of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom; 3Brighton
and Sussex Medical School, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a protein involved in cholesterol and lipid transport. The gene coding for this protein has three different alleles: e2, e3 and e4. The e4 allele is recognized as a significant risk factor for developing Alzheimers disease in later life. Paradoxically, behavioural and functional evidence demonstrate the e4 allele may confer a cognitive advantage to the carrier in youth. We use qMT, DTI and VBM to identify subtle differences in the brain tissue of groups of young e4 and homozygous e3 carriers that might support that paradox.