Memory self-appraisal in middle-aged and older adults with the apolipoprotein e-4 allele

Objective: Because subjective memory complaints may indicate subtle functio nal brain abnormalities, the authors studied the influence of the major gen etic risk for Alzheimer's disease, the apolipoprotein E-4 (APOE-4) allele, on self-reports of memory performance in middle-aged and older adults. Meth od: Subjective and objective assessments of memory performance were compare d in relation to the presence or absence of the APOE-4 allele in 39 cogniti vely intact persons with mild memory complaints. Results: Subjects with the APOE-4 allele had lower scores on objective verbal memory and on the subje ctive memory measure for retrospective functioning. Among the subjects in t he age range where APOE-4 has its greatest influence on the risk of Alzheim er's disease (55-74 years), the APOE-4 group had lower scores on the subjec tive memory measure for frequency of forgetting. Moreover, the standardized difference in retrospective functioning scores between the two genetic ris k groups increased when the mid-age-range group was examined rather than th e whole study group. Conclusions: The APOE-4 allele is associated with incr eased subjective memory impairment in middle-aged and older adults. Longitu dinal studies of age-related memory loss should include genetic risk and su bjective memory measures as potential predictors of decline.