Age- and genotype-related neurophysiologic reactivity to oxidative stress in healthy adults

The epsilon4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (ApoE), as well as aging increase the risk of Alzheimer's and vascular diseases. Electroencephalogram (EEG) reactivity to hyperventilation (HV) depends on hypocapnia-induced cerebral vasoconstriction, which may be impaired in subjects with subclinical cerebrovascular disease. Quantitative EEG at rest and under 3-minute HV was examined in 125 healthy subjects divided into younger (age range 28-50) and older (age range 51-82) cohorts and stratified by ApoE genotype. The younger ApoE-epsilon4 carriers had excessive EEG reactivity to HV characterized by the manifestation of high-voltage delta, theta activity and sharp waves, and larger HV-induced changes in EEG relative powers than in the younger ApoE-epsilon4 noncarriers. EEG reactivity to HV decreased with aging, and in the ApoE-epsilon4 carriers the decrease was more pronounced than in the ApoE-epsilon4 noncarriers. The older ApoE-epsilon4 carriers had smaller HV-induced changes in EEG relative powers than the older ApoE-epsilon4 noncarriers. A marked decline of EEG reactivity to HV in the older ApoE-epsilon4 carriers suggests the possible impact of vascular factors on the pathogenesis of ApoE-induced Alzheimer disease.