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Head circumference and incident Alzheimer’s disease

Modification by apolipoprotein E

From the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Dr. Borenstein Graves) and Institute on Aging (Dr. Mortimer), University of South Florida, Tampa; Departments of Neurology (Dr. Bowen), Medicine (Drs. McCormick and Larson), and Psychosocial and Community Health (Dr. McCurry), University of Washington; and Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, GRECC (Dr. Schellenberg), Seattle, WA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. A. Borenstein Graves, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, MDC-56, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612-3805; e-mail: amgraves{at}hsc.usf.edu

Background: — The clinical expression of AD likely occurs when the accumulation of degeneration in specific brain regions leads to the descent below a critical threshold of "brain reserve" beyond which normal cognitive function cannot be maintained. The association between head circumference (HC), a measure of brain reserve, and the incidence of probable AD was examined in a large nondemented cohort that has been followed since 1992 and its modification by APOE 4 genotype.

Methods: — Fifty-nine incident cases of probable AD were identified from 1,869 initially nondemented individuals seen at the baseline examination (1992 to 1994) and followed for a mean of 3.8 years. Variables measured at baseline included age, education, gender, HC, height, weight, and score on the National Adult Reading Test–Revised. APOE was genotyped at the time of the first biennial examination (1994 to 1996) and was available for 1,111 individuals in the cohort. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for probable AD for HC and other covariates.

Results: — Incident cases were significantly older, less educated, shorter, and lighter, had lower estimated verbal IQ scores, and were more likely to have at least one APOE 4 allele than unaffected individuals. The HR associated with the lowest tertile of HC (<21.4 inches) adjusted for education, gender, and APOE 4 was 2.3 (95% CI 0.7 to 6.9, p = 0.16). The HR for one or two APOE 4 alleles was significant (HR = 4.8, 95% CI 1.8 to 12.9, p = 0.002). The combination of low HC and APOE 4 strongly predicted earlier onset of AD with HR = 14.1 (95% CI 3.0 to 65, p = 0.0007).

Conclusions: — Smaller HC, in the presence of the APOE 4 allele, hastens the age at onset of AD. These results support the brain reserve hypothesis and its importance in precipitating the clinical expression of AD among genetically predisposed individuals.

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