Traumatic Brain Injury as a Moderator for Apolipoprotein-E Risk Associated with
  
   Lead Investigator:    Christina Malzahn
   Institution      :    Wheaton College
   E-Mail           :    christina.malzahn@my.wheaton.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1277



   Proposal Description:
   The current study aims to add to the literature on the factors increasing risk for earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease by examining a large, autopsy-confirmed sample of Alzheimer's disease patients. Specifically the current study will address the following questions:                               1. Is there an interaction between TBI history and APOE-e4?                       2. Does TBI history moderate the APOE-e4 risk for the age of Alzheimer's disease onset?                                                                    3. If TBI history does moderate APOE-e4 risk for Alzheimer's disease onset, what is the underlying factor driving that effect?                                The hypotheses for this current study are as follows:                             H1: There is a statistically significant difference on onset of Alzheimer's disease by APOE-e4 status and TBI severity                                        H2: If H1, then individuals with severe TBI history and two APOE-e4 alleles will present with greatest risk for earlier age of onset of Alzheimer's disease   H3: If H1, then individuals without TBI history and without APOE-e4 alleles will present with the least amount of risk for earlier Alzheimer's disease onset.