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Polygenic Liability, Exposure Severity, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Predict Cognitive Impairment in World Trade Center Responders
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2023
Source: J Alzheimers Dis. 92(2):701-712 -
Alternative Title:J Alzheimers Dis
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Personal Author:
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Description:BACKGROUND:
There is a high incidence of cognitive impairment among World Trade Center (WTC) responders, comorbid with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, it remains unknown whether genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, PTSD, educational attainment, or for a combination of these phenotypes, is associated with cognitive impairment in this high-risk population.
OBJECTIVE:
In a study of n = 3997 WTC responders, polygenic scores for Alzheimer’s disease, PTSD, and educational attainment were used to test whether genome-wide risk for one or more of these phenotypes is associated with cognitive impairment, controlling for demographic factors, population stratification, and indicators of 9/11 exposure severity.
RESULTS:
Polygenic scores for Alzheimer’s disease and educational attainment were significantly associated with an increase and decrease, respectively, in the hazard rate of mild cognitive impairment. The polygenic score for Alzheimer’s disease was marginally associated with an increase in the hazard rate of dementia, but only age, exposure severity, and symptoms of PTSD were significantly associated with an increase in the hazard rate of dementia.
CONCLUSION:
These results add to the emerging evidence that many WTC responders are suffering from mild cognitive impairments that resemble symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, with severe impairments closely tied to PTSD and the type of work that responders completed during rescue and recovery efforts.
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Pubmed ID:36776056
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC10648279
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