Cognitive disorders in the elderly. Genetic and epigenetic aspects

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most prevalent manifestation of the cognitive disorders in the elderly. The dramatic nature and the economic b urden of the disease make AD a worl-wide problem. This paper reviews the ge netic factors which explain the pathogenesis of AD, i.e., mutations of the genes encoding the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PS-1) and 2 (PS-2). Moreover, the polymorphism of the ApoE gene and the mutations of the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) are discussed. HFE mutations may anticipate the clinical manifestation of AD. The epigenetic factors related to AD are also discussed.