Variations in the APOE allele or BDNF Val66Met polymorphism are not associated with changes in cognitive function following a tertiary education intervention in older adults: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project

The APOE ɛ4 allele and the Met variant of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism are associated with reduced cognitive function in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the independent and interactional effect of the APOE ɛ4 allele and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on cognitive function in a cohort of healthy older adults who had undertaken further university level education. Multiple group Latent Growth Curve Modelling revealed no change in cognitive function over time in APOE ɛ4-carriers or in BDNF Met-carriers, nor in carriers of both APOE-ɛ4 and BDNF-Met alleles. Further, the results indicate that allelic variation in either APOE or BDNF does not modify the beneficial effects of a university based education intervention on cognitive function over a four-year period following the intervention.