Molecular switches age-related memory decline? Genetic variant protect against brain aging

Reports new study in Biological Psychiatry

2014-05-06

(Press-News.org) Philadelphia, PA, May 6, 2014 – Even among the healthiest individuals, memory and cognitive abilities decline with age. This aspect of normal aging can affect an individual's quality of life and capability to live independently but the rate of decline is variable across individuals. There are many factors that can influence this trajectory, but perhaps none more importantly than genetics.

Scientists are seeking to identify key molecular switches that control age-related memory impairment. When new molecules are identified as critical to the process of memory consolidation, they are then tested to determine whether they contribute to the memory problems of the elderly.

One of these proteins is called KIBRA and the gene responsible for its production is WWC1. KIBRA is known to play a role in human memory and so researchers at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, led by senior author Dr. Venkata Mattay, conducted a study to determine the effects of genetic variants in WWC1 on memory. Their findings are published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.

"Identifying these genetic factors, while helping us better understand the neurobiology of cognitive aging, will also aid in identifying mechanisms that confer individuals with resilience to withstand the inevitable age-related changes in neural architecture and function," explained Mattay.

Using imaging genetics, a method that combines genetics with brain imaging technology, the team explored the effect of a variant in the WWC1 gene on age-related changes in memory function. The particular WWC1 variant under investigation has three potential forms – CC, TT, or CT.

They recruited 233 healthy volunteers, who ranged in age from 18-89 years. The volunteers completed a battery of cognitive tests, underwent genotyping, and completed a memory task during a brain imaging scan.

They found that individuals who carry the T allele, as either CT or TT, performed better on the memory task and showed more active engagement in the hippocampus, a vital brain region for memory, with increasing age.

"Our results show a dynamic relationship between this gene and increasing age on hippocampal function and episodic memory with the non-T allele group showing a significant decline across the adult life span," said Mattay. "A similar relationship was not observed in the T-allele carrying group suggesting that this variant of the gene may confer a protective effect."

Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, commented, "The risk mechanisms for age-related memory impairment that we identify today may become the targets for the prevention and treatment of this problem in the future."

INFORMATION: The article is "WWC1 Genotype Modulates Age-Related Decline in Episodic Memory Function Across the Adult Life Span" by John Muse, Matthew Emery, Fabio Sambataro, Herve Lemaitre, Hao-Yang Tan, Qiang Chen, Bhaskar S. Kolachana, Saumitra Das, Joseph H. Callicott, Daniel R. Weinberger, and Venkata S. Mattay (doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.09.036). The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 75, Issue 9 (May 1, 2014), published by Elsevier.

Notes for editors Full text of the article is available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Rhiannon Bugno at +1 214 648 0880 or Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Vekata S. Mattay at +1 410 955 1000 or anand.mattay@libd.org.

The authors' affiliations, and disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available in the article.

John H. Krystal, M.D., is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a research psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. His disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available here.

About Biological Psychiatry Biological Psychiatry is the official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, whose purpose is to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior. In accord with this mission, this peer-reviewed, rapid-publication, international journal publishes both basic and clinical contributions from all disciplines and research areas relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric disorders.

The journal publishes novel results of original research which represent an important new lead or significant impact on the field, particularly those addressing genetic and environmental risk factors, neural circuitry and neurochemistry, and important new therapeutic approaches. Reviews and commentaries that focus on topics of current research and interest are also encouraged.

Biological Psychiatry is one of the most selective and highly cited journals in the field of psychiatric neuroscience. It is ranked 4th out of 135 Psychiatry titles and 13th out of 251 Neurosciences titles in the Journal Citations Reports® published by Thomson Reuters. The 2012 Impact Factor score for Biological Psychiatry is 9.247.

About Elsevier Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions — among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey — and publishes nearly 2,200 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and over 25,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works.

The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact Rhiannon Bugno,
Editorial Office
+1 214 648 0880
Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu

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