Differences in the Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's Disease between APOE4 Carriers and Non-Carriers

An early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important for both support and therapeutic planning. Predicting who will progress from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD would yield the same clinical benefits. However, it has been shown that the MCI to AD progression varies depending on certain demographic characteristics. AD is highly associated with the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele expressing the protein isoform APOE4. This study aimed at identifying features associated with the MCI to AD progression whose temporal evolution significantly differs between APOE4 carriers and non-carriers. Longitudinal information from 336 subjects (64.58% carriers) who progressed from MCI to AD was gathered, including laboratory assays, information from MRI and PET analyses, and neuropsychological tests. Longitudinal models identified 11 features with significant differences in their behavior between carriers and non-carriers, demonstrating that the way in which carriers and non-carriers progress from MCI to AD is significantly different.