Intelligence and event-related potentials for young female human volunteerapolipoprotein E epsilon 4 and non-epsilon 4 carriers

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allel is associated with late-onset Al zheimer's disease and cognitive function in aging normal populations. To st udy the effect of the presence of the epsilon4 allele on cognitive function , we compared intelligence-test scores and component values for event-relat ed potentials for epsilon4 and non-epsilon4 carriers in a group of 134 youn g females. The results demonstrate modest increases in performance intellig ence quotient (IQ) and N100 amplitude for epsilon4 carriers (P = 0.038 and 0.068, respectively). Our findings suggest that cognitive impairment, assoc iated with the presence of the epsilon4 allele, is age-dependent and thus n ot probable for young women. The higher performance IQ scores demonstrated for epsilon4 carriers require further exploration. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.