IMR Press / JIN / Volume 21 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2104099
Open Access Original Research
Genetic Predictors of Change in Episodic Verbal Memory by Cognitive Intervention: ACT, PICALM, BDNF, NRG1, APOE Genes and Their Interactions in Situations of Cognitive Demand
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1 Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, 28006 Madrid, Spain
2 Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University, 28223 Madrid, Spain
3 Department of Basic Psychology I, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28015 Madrid, Spain
4 Faculty of Medicine, Salamanca University, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
*Correspondence: montenegropmm@madrid.es (Mercedes Montenegro-Peña); montejop@telefonica.net (Pedro Montejo Carrasco)
Academic Editor: Robert Friedman
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2022, 21(4), 99; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2104099
Submitted: 1 December 2021 | Revised: 28 January 2022 | Accepted: 15 February 2022 | Published: 30 May 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Cognitive interventions (CIs) in the elderly are activities that seek to improve cognitive performance and delay its deterioration. Our objectives were to study potential genetic predictors of how a CI program may influence immediate and delayed episodic verbal memory (EVM). Methods: 162 participants were elderly individuals without dementia who were randomized into parallel control and experimental groups. Participants underwent genetic testing to analyze the PICALM, ACT, NRG1, BDNF and APOE genes. We performed a broad neuropsychological assessment before and 6 months after the CI. The CI involved multifactorial training (30 sessions). The control group undertook the centre’s standard activities. The main outcome measures were the genotype studied as a predictor of post-intervention changes in EVM. Results: We found the CI was associated with improvements in several cognitive functions, including immediate and delayed EVM. While no individual gene was associated with any such change, the interaction between PICALM/ACT (p = 0.008; Eta2 = 0.23) and PICALM/NRG1 (p = 0.029; Eta2 = 0.19) was associated with improved immediate EVM, and the NRG1/BDNF interaction was associated with improved delayed EVM (p = 0.009; Eta2 = 0.21). The APOEε4 genotype was not associated with any change in EVM. Conclusions: Our study shows that the participants’ genotype can have an impact on the results of CIs. Cognitive stress may stimulate the interaction of various genes and as such, different types of CI should be established for distinct groups of people taking into account the individual’s characteristics, like genotype, to improve the results of this type of health prevention and promotion activity.

Keywords
elderly people
cognitive intervention
genetic predictors
ACT
PICALM
BDNF
NRG1
APOE
Unidad de Memoria Ayuntamiento de Madrid method (UMAM method)
Figures
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