The association between cognition and WRN gene polymorphisms has been assessed previously only in one study (Bendixen et al., 2004). In that study, the T allele of the i1-C/T SNP was associated with better cognitive functioning in the elderly, and no associations with the C1367R SNP were found (Bendixen et al., 2004). The beneficial effect of the i1-T allele was only seen on the cognitive composite score and not on MMSE. In our study, carriers of the i1-T allele seemed to perform better on all the analyzed cognitive domains; however, the differences did not reach statistical significance. A significant association, on the other hand, was observed between the C1367R polymorphism and attention. Carriers of the 1367R allele had worse attention compared to the 1367C homozygotes. The other domains of cognition seemed to be unaffected. The positive association between the C1367R SNP and attention could be a chance finding. In this study, we did not correct for multiple testing; however, if such correction had been applied, then the borderline significance would have disappeared. In order to exclude that the findings of this and the other study (Bcorrected text:

Gerontol., Bohr, V.A., Metter, E.J., Harrigan, J.A., von Kobbe, C., Liu, J.L., Gray, M.D., Majumdar, A., Wilson III, D.M., Seidman, M.M., Werner syndrome protein variants and disposition towards coronary artery disease in Caucasian patients. Mech. Ageing Dev., Bootsma-van der Wiel, A.B., van Exel, E., de Craen, A.J.M., Gussekloo, J., Lagaay, A.M., Knook, D.L., Westendorp, R.G.J., A high response is not essential to prevent selection bias: results from the Leiden-plus Study. J. Clin. Epidemiol., Brand, N., Jolles, J., Learning and retrieval rate of words presented auditorily and visually. J. Gen. Psychol., Brosh Jr., R.M., Bohr, V.A., Roles of the Werner syndrome protein in pathways required for maintenance of genome stability. Exp. Gerontol., Castro, E., Edland, S.D., Lee, L., Ogburn, C.E., Deeb, S.S., Brown, G., Panduro, A., Riestra, R., Tilvis, R., Louhija, J., Penttinen, R., Erkkola, R., Wang, L., Martin, G.M., Oshima, J.,
Polymorphisms at the Werner locus: II. Leu/Phe,Cys/Arg,longevity,and atherosclerosis. Am. J. Med. Genet.,
Castro,E.Ogburn,C.E.Hunt,K.E.Tilvis,R.Louhija,J.Penttinen,R.Erkkola,R.Panduro,A.Riestra,R.Piussan,C.Deeb,S.S.Wang,L.Edland,S.D.Martin,G.M.Oshima,J.,Polymorphisms at the Werner locus: I. Newly identified polymorphisms, ethnic variability of Cys/Arg, and its stability in a population of Finnish centenarians. Am. J. Med. Genet.,
Gage, F.H., Neurogenesis in the adult brain. J. Neurosci.,
Hasty, P., Campisi, J., Hoeijmakers, J., van Steeg, H., Vijg, J., Aging and genome maintenance: lessons from the mouse? Science,
Heijmans, B.T., Gussekloo, J., Kluft, C., Droog, S., Lagaay, A.M., Knook, D.L., Westendorp, R.G.J., Slagboom,E.P.,
Mortality risk in men is associated with a common mutation in the methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR). Eur. J. Hum. Genet.,
Houx,P.J.,Shepherd,J.,Blauw,G.J.,Murphy,M.B.,Ford,I.,Bollen,E.L.,Buckley,B.,Stott,D.J.,Jukema,W.,Hyland,M.,
Gaw,A.,Norrie,J.,Kamper,A.M.,Perry,I.J.,Macfarlane,P.W.,
Meinders,A.E.,Sweeney,B.J.,Packard,C.J.,Twomey,C.,
Cobbe,S.M.,Westendorp,R.G.,
Testing cognitive function in elderly populations: the PROSPER study. PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk.
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry,
Kamath-Loeb,A.S.,Welcsh,P.Waite,M.Adman,E.T.Loeb,L.A.,
The enzymatic activities of the Werner syndrome protein are disabled by the amino acid polymorphism, RC. J. Biol. Chem.,
Klein,M.,Ponds,R.W.,Houx,P.J.,Jolles,J.,
Effect of test duration on age-related differences in Stroop interference. J. Clin. Exp. Neuropsychol.,
Liu,Z.,Macias,M.J.,Bottomley,M.J.,Stier,G.,Linge,J.P.,Nilges,M.,Bork,P.,Sattler,M.,
The three-dimensional structure of the HRDC domain and implications for the Werner and Bloom syndrome proteins. Struct. Fold. Des.,
Macario,A.J.,Conway,de Macario,Sick chaperones and ageing: a perspective.Ageing Res. Rev.,
Macfarlane,P.W.,Latif,S.,
Automated serial ECG comparison based on the Minnesota code. J. Electrocardiol. (Suppl.),
Martin,G.M.,
Genetic syndromes in man with potential relevance to the pathobiology of aging. Birth Defects Orig. Artic. Ser.,
Matsumoto,T.,Imamura,O.,Goto,M.,FCloned human disease genes: patterns of evolutionary conservation and functional motifs. PNAS.
Opresko, P.L., Cheng, W.H., von Kobbe, C., Harrigan, J.A., Bohr, V.A. Werner syndrome and the function of the Werner protein; what it can teach us about the molecular aging process. Carcinogenesis.
Salk, D. Werner's syndrome: a review of recent research with an analysis of connective tissue metabolism, growth control of cultured cells, and chromosomal aberrations. Hum. Genet.