The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ?4 allele is the major genetic risk factor for the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas the presence of the APOE ?2 allele seems to confer protection. Here, we report that healthy young APOE ?4 carriers have statistically significantly smaller hippocampal volumes than APOE ?2 carriers, while no differences were detected between the two groups in memory performance. The difference in hippocampal morphology is cognitively/clinically silent in young adulthood, but could render APOE ?4 carriers more prone to the later development of AD possibly due to lower reserve cognitive capacity.     «

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ?4 allele is the major genetic risk factor for the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas the presence of the APOE ?2 allele seems to confer protection. Here, we report that healthy young APOE ?4 carriers have statistically significantly smaller hippocampal volumes than APOE ?2 carriers, while no differences were detected between the two groups in memory performance. The difference in hippocampal morphology is cognitively/clinically silent in youn...     »