Our findings supported the hypothesis that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may affect susceptibility to regional WMH volume and such genotype-by-WMH interaction effect is correlated with cognitive decline in non-demented elderly males, in which the Met allele plays a protective role.
While the BDNF polymorphism (rs6265) is associated with faster cognitive decline and increased hippocampal atrophy, a replicable genetic association of BDNF with AD risk has yet to be demonstrated.
These results suggest that the <i>BDNF</i> Val66Met polymorphism may play an important role in cognitive decline and could be considered as a target for novel AD therapeutics.
We investigated whether a common Val66Met missense polymorphism (rs6265) of the BDNF gene is associated with individual differences in cognitive decline (marked by perceptual speed) in old age.
We aimed to determine the relationship between BDNF Val66Met and beta-amyloid (Aβ) on cognitive decline, hippocampal atrophy, and Aβ accumulation over 36 months in 165 healthy adults enrolled in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study.
Several heritability studies have reported that the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (<i>BDNF</i>) Val66Met genetic polymorphism could contribute to the acceleration of cognitive decline in aging.