Genes and Environment
A central question in understanding the cause of a disease is finding out whether it is mainly genetic or acquired as a result of specific environmental factors such as infectious disease, diet, lifestyle, etc. Investigators at the Byrd Institute are using powerful statistical tools to determine and analyze the risk factors that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Twins are the closest that we can approach to the controlled populations of mice that are often used in the laboratory. A key problem in Alzheimer's research is to determine whether the disease is "hard wired" into us at birth, or whether the environment is more important. The Byrd Institute has several investigators analyzing population data using powerful statistical tools to determine what the risk factors are.
Role of genes and environments for explaining Alzheimer disease
Gatz, M., Reynolds, C. A., Fratiglioni, L., Johansson, B., Mortimer, J. A., Berg, S., Fiske, A. and Pedersen, N. L.
Arch Gen Psychiatry (2006) 63: 168-74
In the largest twin study to date, both genetics and the environment are shown to be important. Thus, there are genetic factors that we do not know about. but the environment is also critical.
Complete ascertainment of dementia in the Swedish Twin Registry: the HARMONY study
Gatz, M., Fratiglioni, L., Johansson, B., Berg, S., Mortimer, J. A., Reynolds, C. A., Fiske, A. and Pedersen, N. L.
Neurobiol Aging (2005) 26: 439-47
The Swedish twin registry was used to set up methods for evaluation of the effect of genetics on development of Alzheimer's. In identical twins it is likely that both will get Alzheimer's disease within 7 years of each other.
Developmental and vascular risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
Borenstein, A. R., Wu, Y., Mortimer, J. A., Schellenberg, G. D., McCormick, W. C., Bowen, J. D., McCurry, S. and Larson, E. B.
Neurobiol Aging (2005) 26: 325-34
In a continuing effort to define environmental factors that may predispose an individual to Alzheimer's disease, these investigators found that while the now well known apolipoprotein E4 form was the predominant risk factor, other factors, particularly disease of blood circulation, were also important.