Association of mitochondrial haplogroups and cognitive impairment in the Amish

Mitochondrial dysfunction is an important feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathogenesis. Reduced glucose utilization and increased oxidative stress are intermediates through which impaired mitochondria may promote AD‐associated brain changes. Association between groups of variants (“haplogroups”) in the mitochondrial genome and AD have been reported for haplogroups U, J, and K. To test these effects in the Amish, we looked for evidence of association between AD‐associated haplogroups and cognitive impairment in a sample of aged Amish individuals.