Fig. 3

Estimates (points) and 95% confidence intervals for the direct and indirect effects through neurodegenerative lesions of the association between Apolipoprotein E gene ε4 allele (APOE-ε4) and Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (CDR-SOB). A The Braak staging for neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and B the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) criteria for neuritic plaques (NP) were significant mediators of the association between APOE-ε4 and cognitive abilities (p < 0.001). Direct paths remained significant in the model with the Braak score (p = 0.002) but were not significant when the CERAD score was entered as a mediator (p = 0.13)