rs10996914 (CTNNA3): Late-Life Memory Genetics

Key takeaways

  • rs10996914 is a variant in or near the CTNNA3 gene, studied in a large sex-stratified GWAS of late-life memory in older adults.
  • The source research used harmonized memory scores from four cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease cohorts, totaling about 27,000 participants.
  • Memory heritability was found to be broadly similar in men and women, while some genetic drivers appear to differ by sex.
  • Specific association data for rs10996914 are not detailed in available sources; evidence for this variant should be considered preliminary.
  • The study identified sex-specific pathways and genetic correlations linking memory to cardiovascular, immune, and education-related traits.

Key takeaways

  • rs10996914 is a variant in or near the CTNNA3 gene and has been studied in a large sex-stratified genome-wide analysis of late-life memory in older adults.
  • The source research used harmonized memory composite scores from four cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease cohorts, totaling approximately 27,000 participants.
  • Memory heritability was found to be broadly similar in men and women, while some specific genetic drivers appear to differ by sex.
  • Specific association data for rs10996914 are not detailed in the available study sources, so evidence for this variant should be considered preliminary.
  • The study identified sex-specific pathways and genetic correlations linking memory performance to cardiovascular, immune, and education-related traits.

What the research says rs10996914, a variant at this locus, was included in a large sex-aware genome-wide association study (GWAS) of late-life memory performance that enrolled 27,583 participants (11,942 males and 15,641 females) drawn from four cohorts of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease research, spanning 24,216 non-Hispanic White and 3,367 non-Hispanic Black older adults. The study used harmonized memory composite scores across cohorts and performed both sex-stratified and sex-interaction analyses. Overall, investigators found that the heritable component of late-life memory is broadly comparable across sexes, while sex-stratified analyses identified distinct genetic loci, a heparan sulfate signaling pathway, and genetic correlations between memory and cardiovascular, immune, and education-related traits.

Reported associations

  • Late-life memory performance: rs10996914 was included in sex-stratified and sex-interaction GWAS analyses of memory performance in older adults across cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease cohorts. Specific p-values, odds ratios, or effect sizes for this variant are not available in the provided study sources.

Evidence quality The source study represents the largest sex-aware genetic analysis of late-life memory conducted to date, with approximately 27,000 participants across four harmonized cohorts, providing substantial statistical power for detecting sex-specific genetic effects on memory. The study's genome-wide significant sex-specific findings were rs67099044 (CBLN2), rs719070 (SCHIP1/IQCJ-SCHIP), and rs5935633 (EGL6/TCEANC/OFD1 on the X chromosome); rs10996914 is not among these highlighted results. Specific statistics for this variant, including p-values and effect sizes, are absent from the available study excerpt, and replication status cannot be assessed. Evidence for any specific association between rs10996914 and late-life memory performance should be considered preliminary.

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CTNNA3 gene and why is it studied in memory research?

CTNNA3 is a gene that has been examined in genome-wide research on late-life memory performance in older adults. It sits in a genomic region included in large sex-stratified analyses designed to identify genetic factors influencing memory in the context of aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Is rs10996914 linked to Alzheimer's disease?

rs10996914 has been included in studies that use Alzheimer's disease cohorts to examine late-life memory genetics. However, specific results linking this variant to Alzheimer's disease are not reported in the available sources.

How was rs10996914 studied?

This variant was examined as part of a genome-wide association study of late-life memory performance in approximately 27,000 older adults from four cohorts, with separate analyses conducted for males and females to detect sex-specific genetic effects.

Do men and women have different genetic influences on memory?

Research suggests that the heritable component of late-life memory is broadly similar in men and women. However, specific genetic loci, pathways such as heparan sulfate signaling, and genetic correlations with cardiovascular and immune traits appear to differ by sex.

What is a sex-stratified GWAS?

A sex-stratified genome-wide association study analyzes genetic data separately in males and females to find variants whose effects on a trait differ by sex. This design can uncover genetic factors that would be missed or diluted in a combined analysis of both sexes together.