Insights from a 7-Year Dementia Cohort (VALCODIS): ApoE Genotype Evaluation

Abstract

Background: The VALCODIS (Valencian Cognitive Diseases Study) cohort was designed and studied at the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe (Valencia, Spain) for the research of cognitive diseases, especially in the search for new biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: Participants in the VALCODIS cohort had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological tests. The ApoE genotype was evaluated to identify its relationship with CSF biomarkers and neuropsychological tests in AD and non-AD participants. Results: A total of 1249 participants were included. They were mainly AD patients (n = 547) but also patients with other dementias (frontotemporal lobar dementia (n = 61), Lewy body dementia without AD CSF signature (n = 10), vascular dementia (n = 24) and other specific causes of cognitive impairment (n = 442), and patients with subjective memory complaints (n = 165)). In the ApoE genotype evaluation, significant differences were found for Aβ42 levels between genotypes in both AD and non-AD patients, as well as a negative correlation between tau values and a cognitive test in non-carriers and ε4 heterozygous. Conclusions: The VALCODIS cohort provides biologically diagnosed patients with demographical, clinical and biochemical data, and biological samples for further studies on early AD diagnosis. Also, the ApoE genotype evaluation showed correlations between CSF biomarkers and neuropsychological tests.