Biological pathways analysis linked to the GO database uncovered a number of pathways common to multiple measures, in particular, the choice RT measures. Across the measures, there was a recurrence of associations with gene products related to vascular and biosynthetic processes and to organelle and cell components. Using the manually defined pathways from KEGG to investigate the speed factor, two pathways – cell junction and focal adhesion – were identified in the Australian and Scottish LBC1936 cohorts, and when we traced the significant SNPs in these pathways, 44 SNPs were identified in 11 genes. These genes were all in the focal adhesion pathway, although five of these were also involved in cell junction. Focal adhesions are structures consisting of proteins at cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions, and they are involved in controlling cell behaviour. This pathway was also implicated for the speed factor in the ALIGATOR analysis using GO terms. Of the significant genes we identified in this pathway, several are particularly interesting due to their link with AD. The alpha 1 laminin isoform is over-expressed in AD frontal cortex and
