Conscientiousness is Negatively Associated with Grey Matter Volume in Young APOE ɛ4-Carriers

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kunz, Lukas^{a; b; c; *} | Reuter, Martin^{d; e} | Axmacher, Nikolai^{a; b; c} | Montag, Christian^{f; g; *}

Affiliations: [a] German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany | [b] Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany | [c] Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany | [d] Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany | [e] Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany | [f] Institute for Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany | [g] Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation/Center for Information in BioMedicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Christian Montag, Heisenberg Professor, Institute of Psychology and Education, Zentrum für Biomedizinische Forschung, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 8/1, D-89081 Ulm, Germany. Tel.: +49 731 50 26550; E-mail: christian.montag@uni-ulm.de and Lukas Kunz, Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany. E-mail: lukas.kunz@uni-bonn.de.

Abstract: The etiology of late onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) depends on multiple factors, among which the APOE ɛ4 allele is the most adverse genetic determinant and conscientiousness represents an influential personality trait. A potential association of both factors with brain structure in young adulthood may constitute a constellation that sets the course toward or against the subtle disease progression of LOAD that starts decades before clinical manifestation. Hence, in the present study, we examined the modulating effects of APOE ɛ4 on the relation between personality dimensions, including conscientiousness, and total grey matter volume (GMV) in young healthy adults using an a priori genotyping design. 105 participants completed an inventory assessing the Five Factor Model of Personality (NEO-FFI) and a structural MRI scan. Total GMV was estimated using both Freesurfer as well as VBM8. Across all participants, total GMV was positively associated with extraversion and negatively related to age. In APOE ɛ4-carriers— but not in APOE ɛ4-non-carriers— conscientiousness was negatively associated with total GMV. In line with the hypothesis of antagonistic pleiotropy of the APOE ɛ4 allele, this result suggests that young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may particularly benefit from cognitive advantages and thus have a lower need to engage in conscientious behavior. In this subset of young APOE ɛ4-carriers, the reduction in conscientiousness could then bring along adverse health behavior in the long run, potentiating the risk for LOAD. Hence, young APOE ɛ4-carriers with increased total GMV may be at a particularly high risk for LOAD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, apolipoprotein E, big five, Freesurfer, NEO-FFI, personality, voxel-based morphometry

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-160854

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 1135-1144, 2017