Anxiety and Verbal Memory Performance in APOE-4 Carriers and Noncarriers Aged 50 Years and Above

AIMS: The current study sought to explore the relationship between state and trait anxiety and delayed verbal memory performance in APOE-4 carriers and noncarriers who were aged 50 years and above. MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; METHODS: The study was a retrospective analysis of 267 participants aged 50 years and above who had completed genetic testing for APOE status, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery that included three delayed verbal memory measures (Wechsler Memory Scale - 3rd Edition, Logical Memory and Verbal Pairs subtests and the Buschke Selective Reminding Test). RESULTS: An inverse relationship was found between state anxiety and delayed verbal memory performance. No difference in level of anxiety was found between APOE-4 carriers versus noncarriers. CONCLUSION: State anxiety, but not trait anxiety, was found to have an inverse relationship with delayed verbal memory performance. For example, as self-reported state anxiety increased, delayed verbal memory scores decreased. This relationship did not appear to be influenced by the presence or absence of the APOE-4 allele.