Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26287823›Full record

ArticlePloS one2015

Possible Association of APOE Genotype with Working Memory in Young Adults.

Lindsey I Sinclair, Katherine S Button, Marcus R Munafò, Ian N M Day, Glyn Lewis

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. The physiological effects of APOE genotype in healthy young/middle-aged individuals.Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Aging · 2020
    Observational
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lindsey I SinclairSchool of Social & Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Katherine S ButtonSchool of Social & Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Marcus R MunafòMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Ian N M DaySchool of Social & Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Glyn LewisDivision of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Funding

British Heart FoundationCancer Research UKMedical Research Council MC_PC_15018Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/6Wellcome Trust 084268/Z/07/ZWellcome Trust 096114/Z/11/ZWellcome Trust 102215
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPossession of the ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Early adult life effects of ε4 are less well understood. Working memory has been relatively little studied (compared to episodic memory) in relation to APOE genotype despite its importance in cognitive functioning. Our hypothesis was that ε4 would lead to an impairment in working memory in young adults.

methodsWe studied working memory using a computerised n-back task in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at age 18. Data was available for 1049-1927 participants and for the 2- and 3-back versions of the task. Using multiple and multi-level regression controlling for important confounders we examined the association between APOE genotype on accuracy and reaction times.

resultsThere was no evidence of a genotype effect on accuracy when the two difficulty levels were examined separately. There was some evidence to support a deleterious effect of the ε4 allele on n-back accuracy in the multi-level regression. There was weak evidence that the ε22 group were less accurate but the numbers were very low in this group. The ε34 group had faster reaction times than the reference ε33 group in all adjusted analyses but the ε44 group were only faster in the 3-back condition in multi-level analyses.

conclusionsThere was no evidence of benefit in ε4 carriers, but there was some evidence of a detrimental effect on working memory in this large study.

Indexed as

AdultAllelesApolipoproteins ECognitionFemaleGene FrequencyGenotypeHumansMaleMemory, Short-TermNeuropsychological TestsYoung AdultApolipoproteins E

Identifiers

PMID26287823
PMCPMC4545585

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.