Background: Periodic circadian protein homolog 2 (PER2) has a role in the intracellular signaling pathways of long-term potentiation and has implications for synaptic plasticity. We aimed to assess the association of PER2 C111G polymorphism with cognitive functions in subjective cognitive decline (SCD).
Methods: Forty-five SCD patients were included in this study. All participants underwent extensive neuropsychological investigation, analysis of apolipoprotein E (APOE) and PER2 genotypes, and neuropsychological follow-up every 12 or 24 months for a mean time of 9.87 ± 4.38 years.
Results: Nine out of 45 patients (20%) were heterozygous carriers of the PER2 C111G polymorphism (G carriers), while 36 patients (80%) were not carriers of the G allele (G non-carriers). At baseline, G carriers had a higher language composite score compared to G non-carriers. During follow-up, 15 (34.88%) patients progressed to mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this group, we found a significant interaction between PER2 G allele and follow-up time, as carriers of G allele showed greater worsening of executive function, visual-spatial ability, and language composite scores compared to G non-carriers.
Conclusions: PER2 C111G polymorphism is associated with better language performance in SCD patients. Nevertheless, as patients progress to MCI, G allele carriers showed a greater worsening in cognitive performance compared to G non-carriers. The effect of PER2 C111G polymorphism depends on the global cognitive status of patients.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; PER2 gene; cognitive reserve; executive function; language; neuropsychology; subjective cognitive decline; visual–spatial ability.