Abstract
Background: The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with cognitive deficits. Both associations may vary depending on age. No previous study has examined a possible three‐way interaction between APOE ε4, PTSD, and age on cognitive functioning.
Methods: Data were analyzed from 1244 European‐American U.S. military veterans who participated in the 2011 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). Analyses of covariance were used to examine the main effects and in- teractions of APOE ε4, PTSD, and age on learning/working memory (LWM) and attention/psychomotor (APM) performance.
Results: A significant three‐way interaction between APOE ε4, PTSD, and age on the LWM composite (ηp2 = 0.011) was observed such that the main effect of APOE ε4 on LWM was only significant for older participants with PTSD. A significant two‐ way interaction between PTSD and age on the APM composite (ηp2 = 0.011) was observed such that the main effect of PTSD on APM was only significant in older participants.
Conclusion: Older APOE ε4 carriers with probable PTSD showed poorer LWM performance relative to other groups. Aging‐related associations on APM perfor- mance were most pronounced in veterans with PTSD. These data are preliminary evidence that identification and treatment of PTSD may be beneficial for individuals at risk for age‐related cognitive impairment.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5888
Funding Information
Dr. Lawrence was supported by a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) grant (K12DA035150) from ORWH and NIDA at the NIH, Tom Curry (Principal Investigator). Drs. Adams and Pietrzak were supported by the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the NC‐PTSD. Dr. Adams was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; K23MH111977 and L30MH111037). Mr. Rippey and Mrs. Welikson have no funding to disclose.
Repository Citation
Lawrence, Karen A.; Rippey, Colton; Welikson, Bianca; Pietrzak, Robert H.; and Adams, Thomas G. Jr., "Interactive association of posttraumatic stress disorder, apolipoprotein ε4 genotype, and age on cognitive functioning" (2023). Psychology Faculty Publications. 221.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/psychology_facpub/221
Notes/Citation Information
© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.