Differential Genetic Influence for Components of Memory in Aging Adult Twins

Gary E. Swan · Terry Reed · Lisa M. Jack · Bruce L. Miller · Taryn E. Markee · Philip A. Wolf +2 more

62 citations0/0 files storedArchives of Neurology

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Cognitive Abilities and Testing Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research Memory Processes and Influences

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relative proportion of genetic and environmental contributions to verbal memory in community-dwelling World War II veteran twins. DESIGN: The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) was administered to 94 monozygotic (MZ) and 89 dizygotic (DZ) elderly male twin pair participants in the fourth examination of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study. SETTING: Subjects voluntarily participated on an outpatient basis at a research or medical center facility in 1 of 4 sites in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects had a mean age of 71.8 years (SD, 2.9 years), a mean educational level of 13.6 years (SD, 2.8 years), and no history of stroke and/or a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 23 or greater. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twin pair similarity in performance on 4 factor analytically derived components of the CVLT measuring verbal learning and memory, response discrimination, learning strategy, and recognition memory. RESULTS: The MZ intraclass correlation was significantly larger than the DZ correlation for verbal learning and memory (I<.001) but not for the other 3 components of memory. Using maximum likelihood methods, the best-fitting genetic model indicated that verbal learning and memory has a substantial genetic component (56% of total variance), whereas response discrimination has a much smaller, although still detectable, genetic component (24% of total variance). There is no evidence of genetic influence on learning strategy or recognition memory. CONCLUSION: Differential contribution of genetic and environmental influences to specific components of memory suggest that, in this group of elderly male twin pairs, some components may be more amenable to intervention than others.

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References

1987California Verbal Learning Test 1997Substantial Genetic Influence on Cognitive Abilities in Twins 80 or More Years Old 1986Development, genetics, and psychology 1988Integrating clinical assessment with cognitive neuroscience: Construct validation of the California Verbal Learning Test.1993Nature, Nurture, and Psychology 1995The California Verbal Learning Test: Psychometric characteristics and clinical application 1994Variability and stability in cognitive abilities are largely genetic later in life 1992Decline in Cognitive Performance in Aging Twins

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