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Article

Enhanced Learning and Memory in Patients with CRB1 Retinopathy

by
Genevieve A. Wright
1,2,
Ana Catalina Rodriguez-Martinez
1,2,
Hanne Conn
3,
Mar Matarin
3,
Pamela Thompson
3,
Anthony T. Moore
1,2,
Rola Ba-Abbad
1,2,
Andrew R. Webster
1,2,† and
Mariya Moosajee
1,2,*,†
1
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
2
Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London EC1V 9EL, UK
3
Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London Hospitals (UCLH), National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Genes 2024, 15(6), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15060660
Submission received: 4 May 2024 / Revised: 20 May 2024 / Accepted: 21 May 2024 / Published: 22 May 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Human Genomics and Genetic Diseases)

Abstract

Mutations in the CRB1 gene are associated with a diverse spectrum of retinopathies with phenotypic variability causing severe visual impairment. The CRB1 gene has a role in retinal development and is expressed in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, but its role in cognition has not been described before. This study compares cognitive function in CRB1 retinopathy individuals with subjects with other retinopathies and the normal population. Methods: Neuropsychological tests of cognitive function were used to test individuals with CRB1 and non-CRB1 retinopathies and compare results with a standardised normative dataset. Results: CRB1 retinopathy subjects significantly outperformed those with non-CRB1 retinopathy in list learning tasks of immediate (p = 0.001) and delayed memory (p = 0.007), tests of semantic verbal fluency (p = 0.017), verbal IQ digit span subtest (p = 0.037), and estimation test of higher execution function (p = 0.020) but not in the remaining tests of cognitive function (p > 0.05). CRB1 retinopathy subjects scored significantly higher than the normal population in all areas of memory testing (p < 0.05) and overall verbal IQ tests (p = 0.0012). Non-CRB1 retinopathy subjects scored significantly higher than the normal population in story recall, verbal fluency, and overall verbal IQ tests (p = 0.0016). Conclusions: Subjects with CRB1 retinopathy may have enhanced cognitive function in areas of memory and learning. Further work is required to understand the role of CRB1 in cognition.
Keywords: CRB1; inherited retinal diseases; CRB1 retinopathy; cognitive function; blindness CRB1; inherited retinal diseases; CRB1 retinopathy; cognitive function; blindness

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wright, G.A.; Rodriguez-Martinez, A.C.; Conn, H.; Matarin, M.; Thompson, P.; Moore, A.T.; Ba-Abbad, R.; Webster, A.R.; Moosajee, M. Enhanced Learning and Memory in Patients with CRB1 Retinopathy. Genes 2024, 15, 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15060660

AMA Style

Wright GA, Rodriguez-Martinez AC, Conn H, Matarin M, Thompson P, Moore AT, Ba-Abbad R, Webster AR, Moosajee M. Enhanced Learning and Memory in Patients with CRB1 Retinopathy. Genes. 2024; 15(6):660. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15060660

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wright, Genevieve A., Ana Catalina Rodriguez-Martinez, Hanne Conn, Mar Matarin, Pamela Thompson, Anthony T. Moore, Rola Ba-Abbad, Andrew R. Webster, and Mariya Moosajee. 2024. "Enhanced Learning and Memory in Patients with CRB1 Retinopathy" Genes 15, no. 6: 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15060660

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