Abstract
Our previous research suggests an association between a low number of teeth and increased risk of dementia. The aim of the present study was to determine if a low number of teeth is specifically related to memory decline as evidenced by low Delayed Word Recall scores. In addition, we examined the combined effect of a low number of teeth and the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele on Delayed Word Recall scores. We hypothesized that the scores of those who had the allele and a low number of teeth (0-9) would decline more rapidly over time than those participants with a greater number of teeth who lacked the allele. We found that individuals with both risk factors (the allele and fewer teeth) had lower Delayed Word Recall scores at the first examination and declined more quickly compared with participants with neither of these risk factors or with either risk factor alone.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 473-477 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Dental Research |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for this research was provided by grants from the U.S. National Institute on Aging: R01AG09862, K04AG00553, and 1P30AG028383, from the Abercrombie Foundation and Kleberg Foundation, from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health: P20 RR020145 and from a K30 grant: K30HL04163. Further information about the Nun Study may be found at www.nunstudy.org .
Keywords
- Apolipoprotein E ε4
- Cognition.
- Delayed word recall
- Memory
- Teeth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Dentistry