Educational Attainment and Socioeconomic Status of Patients With Autopsy-Confirmed Alzheimer Disease

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
FAMILIAL early-onset varieties of Alzheimer disease (AD) can be explained by mutations in the β-amyloid protein precursor gene, the presenilin genes, and other, undiscovered genes.1 The common sporadic late-onset variety is more complex. The ϵ4 allele of apolipoprotein E is undoubtedly a strong risk factor,2,3 and other genetic polymorphisms have been proposed as additional contributors to the risk of developing the disease.4 However, environmental factors must also play a role, as indicated by the common discrepancy in expression of the disease among identical twins.5 Currently, the only nongenetic factors to be upheld by replication in epidemiological studies are head trauma6 and education. The latter is the subject of the present report.