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Lin JJY, Kuiper JR, Dickerson AS, Buckley JP, Volk HE, Rohlman DS, Lawrence KG, Braxton Jackson W, Sandler DP, Engel LS, Rule AM. Associations of a toenail metal mixture with attention and memory in the Gulf long-term follow-up (GuLF) study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173387. [PMID: 38788945 PMCID: PMC11170656 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on metal-associated neurodegeneration has largely focused on single metals. Since metal exposures typically co-occur as combinations of both toxic and essential elements, a mixtures framework is important for identifying risk and protective factors. This study examined associations between toenail levels of an eight-metal mixture and attention and memory in men living in US Gulf states. METHODS We measured toenail concentrations of toxic (arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury) and essential (copper, manganese, selenium, and zinc) metals in 413 non-smoking men (23-69 years, 46 % Black) from the Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up (GuLF) Study. Sustained attention and working memory were assessed at the time of toenail sample collection using the continuous performance test (CPT) and digit span test (DST), respectively. Associations between toenail metal concentrations and performance on neurobehavioral tests were characterized using co-pollutant adjusted general linear models and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression. RESULTS Adjusting for other metals, one interquartile range (IQR) increase in toenail chromium was associated with a 0.19 (95 % CI: -0.31, -0.07) point reduction in CPT D Prime score (poorer ability to discriminate test signals from noise). One IQR increase in toenail manganese was associated with a 0.20 (95 % CI, -0.41, 0.01) point reduction on the DST Reverse Count (fewer numbers recalled). Attention deficits were greater among Black participants compared to White participants for the same increase in toenail chromium concentrations. No evidence of synergistic interaction between metals or adverse effect of the overall metal mixture was observed for either outcome. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support existing studies of manganese-related memory deficits and are some of the first to show chromium related attention deficits in adults. Longitudinal study of cognitive decline is needed to verify chromium findings. Research into social and chemical co-exposures is also needed to explain racial differences in metal-associated neurobehavioral deficits observed in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce J Y Lin
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Jordan R Kuiper
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Aisha S Dickerson
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jessie P Buckley
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Heather E Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Diane S Rohlman
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn G Lawrence
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Ana M Rule
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Llibre‐Guerra JJ, Jiang M, Acosta I, Sosa AL, Acosta D, Jimenez‐Velasquez IZ, Guerra M, Salas A, Rodriguez Salgado AM, Llibre‐Guerra JC, Sánchez ND, Prina M, Renton A, Albanese E, Yokoyama JS, Llibre Rodriguez JJ. Social determinants of health but not global genetic ancestry predict dementia prevalence in Latin America. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:4828-4840. [PMID: 38837526 PMCID: PMC11247688 DOI: 10.1002/alz.14041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Leveraging the nonmonolithic structure of Latin America, which represents a large variability in social determinants of health (SDoH) and high levels of genetic admixture, we aim to evaluate the relative contributions of SDoH and genetic ancestry in predicting dementia prevalence in Latin American populations. METHODS Community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older (N = 3808) from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Peru completed the 10/66 protocol assessments. Dementia was diagnosed using the cross-culturally validated 10/66 algorithm. Multivariate linear regression models adjusted for SDoH were used in the main analysis. This study used cross-sectional data from the 1066 population-based study. RESULTS Individuals with higher proportions of Native American (>70%) and African American (>70%) ancestry were more likely to exhibit factors contributing to worse SDoH, such as lower educational levels (p < 0.001), lower socioeconomic status (p < 0.001), and higher frequency of vascular risk factors (p < 0.001). After adjusting for measures of SDoH, there was no association between ancestry proportion and dementia probability, and ancestry proportions no longer significantly accounted for the variance in cognitive performance (African predominant p = 0.31 [-0.19, 0.59] and Native predominant p = 0.74 [-0.24, 0.33]). DISCUSSION The findings suggest that social and environmental factors play a more crucial role than genetic ancestry in predicting dementia prevalence in Latin American populations. This underscores the need for public health strategies and policies that address these social determinants to effectively reduce dementia risk in these communities. HIGHLIGHTS Countries in Latin America express a large variability in social determinants of health and levels of admixture. After adjustment for downstream societal factors linked to SDoH, genetic ancestry shows no link to dementia. Population ancestry profiles alone do not influence cognitive performance. SDoH are key drivers of racial disparities in dementia and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge J. Llibre‐Guerra
- Department of NeurologyWashington University School of Medicine in St. LouisSt LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Miao Jiang
- Institute of Public HealthFaculty of Biomedical SciencesUniversità della Svizzera italianaLuganoSwitzerland
| | - Isaac Acosta
- Laboratory of the DementiasNational Institute of Neurology and NeurosurgeryMexico CityMexico
- National Autonomous University of MexicoMexico CityMexico
| | - Ana Luisa Sosa
- Laboratory of the DementiasNational Institute of Neurology and NeurosurgeryMexico CityMexico
- National Autonomous University of MexicoMexico CityMexico
| | - Daisy Acosta
- Internal Medicine DepartmentUniversidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña (UNPHU), Geriatric SectionSanto DomingoDominican Republic
| | - Ivonne Z. Jimenez‐Velasquez
- Internal Medicine DepartmentGeriatrics Program, School of MedicineMedical Sciences CampusUniversity of Puerto RicoSan JuanPuerto RicoUSA
| | - Mariella Guerra
- Instituto de la Memoria Depresion y Enfermedades de Riesgo IMEDERLimaPerú
| | - Aquiles Salas
- Medicine DepartmentCaracas University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de VenezuelaCaracasVenezuela
| | | | | | - Nedelys Díaz Sánchez
- Dementia Research Unit, Facultad de Medicina Finlay‐AlbarranMedical University of HavanaHavanaCuba
| | - Matthew Prina
- Population Health Sciences InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Alan Renton
- Department of NeuroscienceIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Emiliano Albanese
- Institute of Public HealthFaculty of Biomedical SciencesUniversità della Svizzera italianaLuganoSwitzerland
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Department of NeurologyUCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Juan J. Llibre Rodriguez
- Dementia Research Unit, Facultad de Medicina Finlay‐AlbarranMedical University of HavanaHavanaCuba
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Zahodne LB, Sol K, Scambray K, Lee JH, Palms JD, Morris EP, Taylor L, Ku V, Lesniak M, Melendez R, Elliott MR, Clarke PJ. Neighborhood racial income inequality and cognitive health. Alzheimers Dement 2024. [PMID: 38934219 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to dementia, but the distribution of SES within a neighborhood may also matter. METHODS Data from 460 (47% Black, 46% White) older adults from the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project were linked to census tract-level data from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA). Neighborhood SES included two composites reflecting disadvantage and affluence. Neighborhood racial income inequality was the ratio of median incomes for White versus Black residents. Generalized estimating equations examined associations between neighborhood factors and cognitive domains. RESULTS Neighborhood racial income inequality was uniquely associated with worse cognitive health, and these associations did not differ by participant race. Neighborhood disadvantage was only associated with worse cognitive health among Black participants. DISCUSSION Both the level and racial distribution of SES within a neighborhood may be relevant for dementia risk. Racial differences in the level and impact of neighborhood SES contribute to dementia inequalities. HIGHLIGHTS Black participants lived in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status (SES) than White participants, on average. Neighborhood SES and racial income inequality were associated with worse cognition. Effects of neighborhood racial income inequality did not differ across racial groups. Effects of neighborhood SES were only evident among Black participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Zahodne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ketlyne Sol
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kiana Scambray
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Department of Human Development and Community Health, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Jordan D Palms
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Emily P Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lauren Taylor
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Vivian Ku
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mary Lesniak
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert Melendez
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael R Elliott
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Philippa J Clarke
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Ding K, Ruksakulpiwat S, Wang Y, Voss JG. The effects of residential segregation on cognition among U.S. older adults: a systematic review based on the social determinants of health model. Aging Ment Health 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38840518 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2024.2360016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review aims to advance the understanding of the complicated effects of segregation on older adults' cognition and provide guidance for future research. METHOD A systematic review using the Social Determinants of Health framework to examine the relationship between segregation and cognition across the selected literature. RESULTS Eight papers met the criteria for inclusion. All selected studies examined the influence of living in a segregated area on older adults' cognition, covering older adults from different racial/ethnic groups. The association between segregation and cognition was found in different directions across different racial/ethnic groups. The effects can be varied depending on race/ethnicity, level of education, neighborhood socioeconomic status, or social context. CONCLUSION This review identified existing gaps in understanding the relationship between segregation and cognition. Future studies should carefully adopt the segregation measures, acknowledge the varying segregation experience among different racial/ethnic groups, and consider more social determinant factors in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedong Ding
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Suebsarn Ruksakulpiwat
- Department of Medical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Yi Wang
- School of Social Work, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IW, USA
| | - Joachim G Voss
- College of Nursing - Omaha Division, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Ohama, NE, USA
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Wang X, Sundermann EE, Buckley RF, Banks SJ. Sex differences in the association between tau PET and cognitive performance in a non-Hispanic White cohort with preclinical AD. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:25-33. [PMID: 37641484 PMCID: PMC10916995 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We investigated how the associations between tau and cognitive measures differ by sex in the preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) stage. METHODS A total of 343 cognitively unimpaired, amyloid-positive individuals (205 women, 138 men) who self-identified as non-Hispanic White from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's (A4) Study were included. We assessed sex-stratified associations between 18 F-flortaucipir positron emission tomography (PET) standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) in the meta-temporal region and Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (PACC) and Computerized Cognitive Composite (C3) components. RESULTS We observed that higher tau level was significantly associated with worse cognitive performance only in women: PACC and its components except for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and C3 components: First Letter Name Recall (FNLT) and One-Card Learning Reaction Time (OCL RT). These associations except for FNLT were apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 independent. DISCUSSION Women show stronger associations between tau PET and cognitive outcomes in preclinical AD. These findings have important implications for sex-specific tau-targeted preventive AD clinical trials. HIGHLIGHTS The tau positron emission tomography (PET) signal in the meta-temporal region was associated with poor cognitive performance in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). After sex stratification, the associations between regional tau PET and cognitive outcomes were observed only in women. The associations between tau PET and some cognitive outcomes were independent of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Rachel F. Buckley
- Department of NeurologyMassachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Sarah J. Banks
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
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Logue MW, Dasgupta S, Farrer LA. Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease in the African American Population. J Clin Med 2023; 12:5189. [PMID: 37629231 PMCID: PMC10455208 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Black/African American (AA) individuals have a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) than White non-Hispanic persons of European ancestry (EUR) for reasons that may include economic disparities, cardiovascular health, quality of education, and biases in the methods used to diagnose AD. AD is also heritable, and some of the differences in risk may be due to genetics. Many AD-associated variants have been identified by candidate gene studies, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genome-sequencing studies. However, most of these studies have been performed using EUR cohorts. In this paper, we review the genetics of AD and AD-related traits in AA individuals. Importantly, studies of genetic risk factors in AA cohorts can elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying AD risk in AA and other populations. In fact, such studies are essential to enable reliable precision medicine approaches in persons with considerable African ancestry. Furthermore, genetic studies of AA cohorts allow exploration of the ways the impact of genes can vary by ancestry, culture, and economic and environmental disparities. They have yielded important gains in our knowledge of AD genetics, and increasing AA individual representation within genetic studies should remain a priority for inclusive genetic study design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W. Logue
- National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Shoumita Dasgupta
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Medical Sciences and Education, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Lindsay A. Farrer
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Besser LM, Jimenez MP, Reimer CJ, Meyer OL, Mitsova D, George KM, Adkins-Jackson PB, Galvin JE. Diversity of Studies on Neighborhood Greenspace and Brain Health by Racialized/Ethnic Group and Geographic Region: A Rapid Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5666. [PMID: 37174185 PMCID: PMC10178609 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20095666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Studies examining associations between greenspace and Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) outcomes are rapidly on the rise, yet no known literature reviews have summarized the racialized/ethnic group and geographic variation of those published studies. This is a significant gap given the known disparities in both greenspace access and ADRD risk between racialized/ethnic groups and between developed versus developing countries. In this rapid literature review, we (1) describe the diversity of published greenspace-brain health studies with respect to racialized/ethnic groups and geographic regions; (2) determine the extent to which published studies have investigated racialized/ethnic group differences in associations; and (3) review methodological issues surrounding studies of racialized/ethnic group disparities in greenspace and brain health associations. Of the 57 papers meeting our inclusion criteria as of 4 March 2022, 21% (n = 12) explicitly identified and included individuals who were Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or Asian. Twenty-one percent of studies (n = 12) were conducted in developing countries (e.g., China, Dominican Republic, Mexico), and 7% (n = 4) examined racialized/ethnic group differences in greenspace-brain health associations. None of the studies were framed by health disparities, social/structural determinants of health, or related frameworks, despite the known differences in both greenspace availability/quality and dementia risk by racialized/ethnic group and geography. Studies are needed in developing countries and that directly investigate racialized/ethnic group disparities in greenspace-brain health associations to target and promote health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilah M. Besser
- Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33433, USA
| | - Marcia Pescador Jimenez
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Cameron J. Reimer
- Department of Earth & Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Oanh L. Meyer
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Diana Mitsova
- School of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Kristen M. George
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Paris B. Adkins-Jackson
- Departments of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - James E. Galvin
- Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33433, USA
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Blackwood J, Amini R, Conti G, Counseller Q, Taylor R, Fayyad D. Balance performance and grip strength as predictors of cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults in the USA. J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls 2023; 8:23-31. [PMID: 36873827 PMCID: PMC9975970 DOI: 10.22540/jfsf-08-023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To investigate how balance and grip strength predicts the probability of cognitive function impairment (i.e., executive function: mild and mild-to-moderate impairment, and delayed recall) over eight years in community-dwelling older adults in the US, controlling for sex and race/ethnicity. Methods The National Health and Aging Trends Study dataset (2011 - 2018) was employed. Dependent variables included the Clock Drawing Test (Executive Function) and Delayed Word Recall Test. Longitudinal ordered logistic regression examined the association between cognitive function and predictors (i.e., balance and grip strength) over eight waves (n=9800, 1,225 per wave). Results Those who could complete side-by-side standing and semi-tandem tasks were 33% and 38% less likely to have mild or mild-to-moderate executive function impairment, respectively, relative to those who could not complete these tests. One score decrease in grip strength increased the executive function impairment risk by 13% (Odds Ratio: 0.87, CI: 0.79-0.95). Those who completed the side-by-side tasks were 35% (Odds Ratio: 0.65, CI: 0.44-0.95) less likely to experience delayed recall impairments than those who could not complete this test. With one score decrease in grip strength, the risk of delayed recall impairment was increased by 11% (OR: 0.89, CI: 0.80-1.00). Conclusions A combination of these two simple tests (i.e., semi-tandem stance and grip strength) can screen for cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults to identify people with mild and mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Blackwood
- Physical Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA
| | - Reza Amini
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA
| | - Gerry Conti
- Occupational Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA
| | - Quinn Counseller
- Occupational Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA
| | - Rebekah Taylor
- Occupational Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan, USA
| | - Deena Fayyad
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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9
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Zahodne LB, Sharifian N, Kraal AZ, Morris EP, Sol K, Zaheed AB, Meister L, Mayeux R, Schupf N, Manly JJ, Brickman AM. Longitudinal associations between racial discrimination and hippocampal and white matter hyperintensity volumes among older Black adults. Soc Sci Med 2023; 316:114789. [PMID: 35164975 PMCID: PMC9579996 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Non-Hispanic Black older adults are at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) than non-Hispanic Whites, which reflects racial disparities in both brain and cognitive health. Discrimination may contribute to these disparities, but much of the research on discrimination and ADRD outcomes is cross-sectional and/or does not disaggregate experiences of discrimination by attribution. Focusing specifically on racial discrimination and considering longitudinal brain outcomes may advance our understanding of the role of discrimination in explaining disproportionate rates of ADRD among non-Hispanic Black older adults. METHODS In total, 221 non-Hispanic Black participants in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project completed multiple measures of discrimination at one time point and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at two time points. Everyday discrimination and lifetime discrimination were operationalized first as aggregate experiences of discrimination (regardless of identity attributions) and then as racial discrimination per se. MRI outcomes included hippocampal and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes. Latent difference score models estimated associations between the discrimination measures and each MRI outcome over four years. RESULTS Aggregate discrimination (regardless of attributions) was not associated with either outcome. Lifetime racial discrimination was associated with lower initial hippocampal volume. Everyday racial discrimination was associated with faster accumulation of WMH over time. CONCLUSIONS Racial discrimination may be detrimental for brain aging among non-Hispanic Black older adults, which may contribute to their disproportionate dementia burden. Disaggregating discrimination by attribution may clarify research on racial inequalities in brain and cognitive aging, as racial discrimination appears to be particularly toxic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Zahodne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States.
| | - Neika Sharifian
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - A Zarina Kraal
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Emily P Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Ketlyne Sol
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Afsara B Zaheed
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Lindsey Meister
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, United States
| | - Nicole Schupf
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, United States
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, United States
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, United States
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McDonough IM, Byrd DR, Choi SL. Resilience resources may buffer some middle-aged and older Black Americans from memory decline despite experiencing discrimination. Soc Sci Med 2023; 316:114998. [PMID: 35537879 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Experiences of discrimination have been associated with poorer episodic memory in Black Americans. However, resilience resources at multiple levels (individual, social, and endowed) may act as a buffer to protect future memory decline, especially in the face of discrimination. OBJECTIVE Using longitudinal data from the 2006-2016 Health and Retirement Study (N = 1862), we tested whether Black Americans aged 50 and older would show different trajectories of episodic memory depending on their reported experiences of discrimination (everyday and major lifetime) and resilience resources. METHODS Analyses were conducted in three steps: (1) joint latent cluster mixed modeling (JLCMM) to estimate the number of classes, (2) barycentric discriminant analyses (BADA) to model the combined influence of discrimination and resilience resources between each memory class, and (3) multinomial regression analyses to explore interactions between discrimination and resilience resources. RESULTS JLCMM resulted in three memory classes that differentiated baseline from longitudinal memory performance: "High Decliners," "Low Decliners," and "Low Stable." Two independent patterns described the relationships between the three classes in the context of discrimination and resilience resources. First, compared with High Decliners, the two lower baseline memory classes (Low Decliners and Low Stable) reported more everyday discrimination and lower individual and endowed resilience resources. Second, although the Low Stable class did not report different levels of discrimination, they had more social resilience resources (greater social support and more social contact) than both declining classes. CONCLUSIONS Black Americans in later life have heterogeneous patterns of memory trajectories as demonstrated by the three memory classes identified. Those with lower baseline memory experienced more everyday discrimination and had fewer resilience resources compared to those with high baseline performance (High Decliners). Greater social resilience resources were associated with maintained episodic memory over time in Black Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - DeAnnah R Byrd
- Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, USA
| | - Shinae L Choi
- Department of Consumer Sciences, The University of Alabama, USA
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11
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Bouges S, Fischer B, Norton DL, Wyman MF, Lambrou N, Zuelsdorff M, Van Hulle CA, Ennis GE, James TT, Johnson AL, Chin N, Carlsson CM, Gleason CE. Effect of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors on Processing Speed and Executive Function in Three Racialized Groups. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:285-294. [PMID: 36744341 PMCID: PMC10211459 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Understanding the association of MetS risk factors to processing speed and executive function in the pre-clinical stages of ADRD in under-represented groups would offer insight on potential mechanisms through which MetS associates with ADRD risk. OBJECTIVE Examine association of MetS features and processing speed and executive function across three racial groups. METHODS Cognitively unimpaired adults from the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention completed blood-draws and neuropsychological testing. Six cognitive outcomes were assessed in association to MetS risk factors: Trailmaking Tests A and B, Animal Fluency, Digit Symbol, and composite scores for Processing Speed and Executive Function. Linear mixed effect models were used to assess the relationship between MetS risk factor count and longitudinal cognitive performance across three racialized groups. RESULTS Participant sample sizes varied by outcome analyzed (N = 714-1,088). African American and Native American groups exhibited higher rates of MetS than non-Hispanic Whites. MetS was associated with processing speed and executive function across all racialized groups. Three-way interaction by racialized group was limited to one cognitive outcome: Trailmaking Test A. CONCLUSION Metabolic dysfunction incrementally affects cognitive trajectory, with generally similar associations across racial groups. Since racialized groups exhibit higher levels of both MetS and ADRD, MetS may represent a driving factor for increased ADRD risk experience by racialized group and an important and modifiable target through which to reduce risk of ADRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenikqua Bouges
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Barbara Fischer
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Derek L. Norton
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mary F. Wyman
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, Department of Psychiatry, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nickolas Lambrou
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Megan Zuelsdorff
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Nursing
| | - Carol A. Van Hulle
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gilda E. Ennis
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Taryn T. James
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Adrienne L. Johnson
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nathaniel Chin
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Carlsson
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Carey E. Gleason
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, UW School of Medicine & Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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12
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Glei DA, Lee C, Weinstein M. Income, wealth, and Black-White disparities in cognition. Soc Sci Med 2022; 310:115298. [PMID: 36007357 PMCID: PMC9706469 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the contributions of income and wealth (beyond education) to Black-White disparities in cognition and evaluated whether the role of socioeconomic status (SES) varies by age. Based on data from a national survey of Americans (aged 23-94), we used regression models to quantify the overall racial disparities in episodic memory, executive function, and overall cognition, adjusted for sex and age. Potential mediators (i.e., measures of childhood environment, educational attainment, marital status, occupation, income, and wealth) were added in subsequent models. The age- and sex-adjusted Black-White differential in overall cognitive function was around one standard deviation (SD) between ages 25 and 50, but declined to 0.6 SD by age 80. Executive function followed a similar pattern, but the racial disparity in episodic memory declined more rapidly between ages 35 (0.7 SD) and 80 (0.2 SD). Childhood environment and the respondent's educational attainment accounted for 20-25% of the racial disparities in overall cognition. The incremental contribution of household income was small (1-5%). Although wealth had only a small effect at younger ages, the contribution grew with age. Wealth was much more important than income in explaining Black-White disparities in cognition at older ages. Childhood environment, marital status, and SES (including wealth) accounted for one-third of the racial disparity in overall cognition at ages 35-65, but an even greater share at age 80. Our study is the first to demonstrate that, with increasing age, wealth explains more of the Black-White disparity in cognition. A widening racial gap in wealth and the disproportionate financial impact of the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic on minorities do not bode well for Black-White differentials in cognition. Working-age Americans suffered the brunt of the economic impact of those events; the impact on cognition may increase as those cohorts grow older.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana A Glei
- Center for Population and Health, Georgetown University, USA.
| | - Chioun Lee
- Department of Sociology, University of California, Riverside, USA
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13
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Walsemann KM, Ureña S, Farina MP, Ailshire JA. Race Inequity in School Attendance Across the Jim Crow South and Its Implications for Black-White Disparities in Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:1467-1477. [PMID: 35139199 PMCID: PMC9371452 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although education is a key determinant of cognitive function, its role in determining Black-White disparities in cognitive function is unclear. This may be due, in part, to data limitations that have made it difficult to account for systemic educational inequities in the Jim Crow South experienced by older cohorts, including differences in the number of days Black students attended school compared to their White counterparts or Black peers in better-funded southern states. We determine if accounting for differential rates of school attendance across race, years, and states in the Jim Crow South better illuminates Black-White disparities in trajectories of cognitive function. METHODS We linked historical state-level data on school attendance from the 1919/1920 to 1953/1954 Biennial Surveys of Education to the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of U.S. adults older than age 50. We restricted our sample to Black and White older adults who attended school in the Jim Crow South and began primary school in/after 1919/1920 and completed primary/secondary school by 1953/1954 (n = 4,343). We used linear mixed models to estimate trajectories of total cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory. RESULTS Self-reported years of schooling explained 28%-33% of the Black-White disparity in level of cognitive function, episodic memory, and working memory. Duration of school, a measure that accounted for differential rates of school attendance, explained 41%-55% of the Black-White disparity in these outcomes. DISCUSSION Our study highlights the importance of using a more refined measure of schooling for understanding the education-cognitive health relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Walsemann
- School of Public Policy and Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Ureña
- School of Public Policy and Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Mateo P Farina
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jennifer A Ailshire
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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14
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Eastman MR, Ospina-Romero M, Westrick AC, Kler JS, Glymour MM, Abdiwahab E, Kobayashi LC. Does a Cancer Diagnosis in Mid-to-Later Life Modify Racial Disparities in Memory Aging? Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2022; 36:140-147. [PMID: 35125398 PMCID: PMC9132235 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unknown whether an incident cancer diagnosis differentially impacts acute and long-term memory aging between older White and Black Americans. METHODS Incident cancer diagnoses and memory (immediate and delayed recall, combined with proxy-reported memory) were assessed at biennial study interviews in the US Health and Retirement Study (N=14,235, 1998-2016). We used multivariable segmented linear mixed-effects models to evaluate the rate of change in standardized memory score (SD/decade) in the years before, acutely at the time of, and in the years following an incident cancer diagnosis, compared to cancer-free adults, by race. RESULTS Black participants experienced faster memory decline than White participants (cancer-free group: -1.211 vs. -1.077; P<0.0001). An incident cancer diagnosis was associated with an acute memory drop in White, but not Black participants (-0.065 vs. 0.024; P<0.0001). However, White cancer survivors experienced slower memory decline than cancer-free White adults before and after diagnosis, but this memory advantage was not observed among Black cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS Racial disparities in memory aging are not modified by an incident cancer diagnosis. The acute cancer-related memory decline and long-term memory advantage experienced by White, but not Black, cancer survivors relative to cancer-free older adults, requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa R. Eastman
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Monica Ospina-Romero
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Ashly C. Westrick
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Jasdeep S. Kler
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Medellena Maria Glymour
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Ekland Abdiwahab
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Lindsay C. Kobayashi
- Department of Epidemiology, Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
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15
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De Anda-Duran I, Alonso CF, Libon DJ, Carmichael OT, Kolachalama VB, Suglia SF, Au R, Bazzano LA. Carotid Intima-media Thickness and Midlife Cognitive Function: Impact of Race and Social Disparities in the Bogalusa Heart Study. Neurology 2022; 98:e1828-e1836. [PMID: 35228334 PMCID: PMC9109147 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000200155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) is a measurement of atherosclerosis, a progressive disease that develops as early as childhood and has been linked with cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly. However, the relationship between c-IMT and midlife cognitive function as well as race and social disparities on this relationship remains unclear. We examined the association between c-IMT and cognitive function in midlife among Black and White participants from a semi-rural community-based cohort in Bogalusa, Louisiana. METHODS In this cross-sectional analysis of participants from the Bogalusa Heart Study, linear regression models were used to determine the association between c-IMT dichotomized above the 50th percentile (> 0.87mm), an a demographically standardized global cognitive (GCS) and individual cognitive domain-based z-scores. Stratified analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of race and the individual's education status. RESULTS A total of 1,217 participants (age 48 ± 5.28 years) were included, 66% (804) self-identified as White and 34% (413) as Black. Of those, 58% (708) were women, and 42% (509) were men Having a c-IMT > 50th percentile was inversely associated with GCS ([B ± SE]: -0.39 ± 0.18, P=0.03), independent of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and achieved education. The effect remained significant in Black and White participants after adjustment for CVRFs (Blacks: [B ± SE]: -1.25 ± 0.45, P=0.005; Whites: [B ± SE]: -0.92 ± 0.35, P=0.008), but not for education. The interaction between c-IMT >50th percentile and education was significant (P=0.03), and stratified analysis showed an association with GCS among those with lower achieved education ([B ± SE]: -0.81 ± 0.33, P=0.013) independent of major CVRFs. DISCUSSION Subclinical atherosclerosis, measured as c-IMT, was associated with worse midlife cognitive function, independent of major CVRFs. The association was buffered by education and may be stronger among Black than White participants, likely due to corresponding structural and social determinants. These findings underscore the importance of establishing preventive measures in midlife and suggest subclinical atherosclerosis as a potential target to prevent cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana De Anda-Duran
- Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - David J Libon
- Department of Psychology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA.,New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA
| | - Owen T Carmichael
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Vijaya B Kolachalama
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Computer Science and Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences , Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shakira F Suglia
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Rhoda Au
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA, and Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lydia A Bazzano
- Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
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16
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Chen R, Weuve J, Misra S, Cuevas A, Kubzansky LD, Williams DR. Racial Disparities in Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: The Roles of Cumulative Stress Exposures Across the Life Course. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2022; 77:357-364. [PMID: 33824971 PMCID: PMC8824673 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Racial disparities in cognitive function are well documented, but factors driving these disparities remain underexplored. This study aims to quantify the extent to which cumulative stress exposures across the life course explain Black-White disparities in executive function and episodic memory in middle-aged and older adults. METHOD Data were drawn from the 2004-2006 wave of the Midlife Development in the United States Study (MIDUS 2) and the MIDUS Refresher study (N = 5,947; 5,262 White and 685 Black). Cumulative stress exposures were assessed by 10 stressor domains (ie, childhood stress, stressful life events in adulthood, financial stress, work psychological stress, work physical stress, work-family conflicts, neighborhood disorder, relationship stress, perceived inequality, and perceived discrimination). Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone. Marginal structural models were used to quantify the proportion of the effect of race/ethnicity status on cognitive function mediated through cumulative stress exposures. RESULTS After adjusting for age, sex, and sample, on average, Black participants had lower levels of executive function (difference: -0.83 SD units, 95% CI: -0.91, -0.75) and episodic memory (difference: -0.53 SD units, 95% CI: -0.60, -0.45) scores than White participants. Cumulative stress exposures accounted for 8.4% of the disparity in executive function and 13.2% of the disparity in episodic memory. CONCLUSIONS Cumulative stress exposures across the life course explained modest proportions of Black-White disparities in cognitive function in this large cross-sectional study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijia Chen
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Supriya Misra
- Department of Public Health, San Francisco State University, California, USA
| | - Adolfo Cuevas
- Department of Community Health, School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David R Williams
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Johnson EEH, Alexander C, Lee GJ, Angers K, Ndiaye D, Suhr J. Examination of race and gender differences in predictors of neuropsychological decline and development of Alzheimer's disease. Clin Neuropsychol 2022; 36:327-352. [PMID: 34218735 PMCID: PMC10496932 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1940299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
ObjectiveBlack adults are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at higher rates than White adults. Biopsychosocial risk factors that differentially affect individuals by race, including health, education, and APOE e4, may explain these findings. Some research suggests that the risk for AD associated with the APOE e4 allele may differ by race. Gender differences in AD have also been identified but remain understudied. We examined race, APOE status, vascular risk factors, education, and the interaction of APOE e4 status and race as predictors of cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer's disease between genders in a large longitudinal sample of older adults. Methods: Participants (N = 4336) were selected from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set who completed measures of verbal fluency, naming, and immediate/delayed story memory across 5 years. Analyses were stratified by gender. Follow up interactions examined statistical significance of differences. Results: APOE e4 by race interactions were largely non-significant and dropped from most models. When controlling for health, education, referral source, and Uniform Data Set form (when applicable), few racial differences in cognitive performance over time emerged. Black participants obtained lower scores than White participants on a majority of baseline measures. Race findings did not differ by gender. Hypertension was more strongly predictive of decline in delayed memory among women. Conclusions: Analyses did not support that APOE e4 differentially affects Black individuals. Hypertension may be a more relevant risk factor among women. Results raise questions regarding the accuracy of baseline scores in predicting decline for Black individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Grace J Lee
- Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH00, USA
| | | | | | - Julie Suhr
- Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH00, USA
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18
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Valdivieso-Mora E, Salazar-Villanea M, Johnson DK. Measurement invariance of a neuropsychological battery across urban and rural older adults in Costa Rica. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35077270 PMCID: PMC9907058 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2021.2023153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the measurement invariance of a neuropsychological battery across rural and urban older adults from Costa Rica. Rural and urban older adults (N = 295) from the Epidemiology and Development of Alzheimer's Disease (EDAD) study in Costa Rica were assessed. The baseline factor model for the EDAD neuropsychological measures was identified with nine neuropsychological measures and three cognitive constructs: Verbal Memory, Spatial Reasoning, and Cognitive Flexibility. Measurement and structural invariance were established, and, then, group comparisons of the latent cognitive factors were conducted to explore regional disparities. The findings showed that most of the neuropsychological tests in EDAD can be directly compared across the groups, allowing for cognitive constructs comparisons. The rural sample showed a disadvantage in the Spatial Reasoning and Cognitive Flexibility abilities. When age and education were included in the models, differences between the regions disappeared. Having more years of education was associated with higher cognitive abilities, with a larger effect for the rural group. Norms for Costa Rican older adults should consider age and education adjustments. This study contributes to the growing area of measurement invariance in neuropsychological assessment as it highlights the importance of examining the comparability of assessment measures across different cultural groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmeralda Valdivieso-Mora
- Department of Psychology and Public Health, Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, San Salvador, El Salvador
| | | | - David K Johnson
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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19
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Foley ÉM, Tripodis Y, Yhang E, Koerte IK, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Makris N, Schultz V, Lepage C, Muehlmann M, Wróbel PP, Guenette JP, Cantu RC, Lin AP, Coleman M, Mez J, Bouix S, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Quantifying and Examining Reserve in Symptomatic Former National Football League Players. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 85:675-689. [PMID: 34864657 PMCID: PMC8926024 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive head impacts (RHI) from contact sports have been associated with cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, not all individuals exposed to RHI develop such disorders. This may be explained by the reserve hypothesis. It remains unclear if the reserve hypothesis accounts for the heterogenous symptom presentation in RHI-exposed individuals. Moreover, optimal measurement of reserve in this population is unclear and likely unique from non-athlete populations. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between metrics of reserve and cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning in 89 symptomatic former National Football League players. METHODS Individual-level proxies (e.g., education) defined reserve. We additionally quantified reserve as remaining residual variance in 1) episodic memory and 2) executive functioning performance, after accounting for demographics and brain pathology. Associations between reserve metrics and cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning were examined. RESULTS Higher reading ability was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.25; 95% CI, 0.05-0.46), episodic memory (β=0.27; 95% CI, 0.06-0.48), semantic and phonemic fluency (β=0.24; 95% CI, 0.02-0.46; β=0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.59), and behavioral regulation (β=-0.26; 95% CI, -0.48, -0.03) performance. There were no effects for other individual-level proxies. Residual episodic memory variance was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.45; 95% CI, 0.25, 0.65), executive functioning (β=0.36; 95% CI, 0.15, 0.57), and semantic fluency (β=0.38; 95% CI, 0.17, 0.59) performance. Residual executive functioning variance was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.44; 95% CI, 0.24, 0.64) and episodic memory (β=0.37; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.58) performance. CONCLUSION Traditional reserve proxies (e.g., years of education, occupational attainment) have limitations and may be unsuitable for use in elite athlete samples. Alternative approaches of reserve quantification may prove more suitable for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éimear M. Foley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eukyung Yhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Inga K. Koerte
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Brett M. Martin
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Palmisano
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vivian Schultz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany,Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Chris Lepage
- QEII Health Sciences Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Marc Muehlmann
- Department of Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Paweł P. Wróbel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany,Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jeffrey P. Guenette
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert C. Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, USA
| | - Alexander P. Lin
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Coleman
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Framingham Heart Study, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha E. Shenton
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A. Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael L. Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Correspondence to: Michael L. Alosco, PhD, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Suite B7800, Boston, MA 02118, USA. Tel.: +1 617 358 6029;
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20
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Hill NL, Bratlee‐Whitaker E, Wion RK, Madrigal C, Bhargava S, Mogle J. Factors that influence the emotional impact of memory problems in older adults: A qualitative descriptive study. Int J Older People Nurs 2021; 17:e12439. [PMID: 35490354 PMCID: PMC9069705 DOI: 10.1111/opn.12439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations among psychological health and memory concerns in older adults are well-established, but much of this research is quantitative. OBJECTIVES This study examined how memory problems influence emotional well-being in older adults without dementia, and whether this differs by cognitive status and current depressive or anxiety symptoms. METHODS A qualitative descriptive design was used to examine our research questions. Community-dwelling older adults without dementia (n = 49, Mage = 74.5[10.1], 63% women) completed a cognitive assessment, questionnaires and two semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to code and categorise the transcribed interview data, then identify themes within and across participant groups. RESULTS Five themes described the influence of memory problems on emotional well-being: Evoking Emotions, Fearing Future, Undermining Self, Normalising Problems and Adjusting Thinking. Memory problems' impact on emotional well-being varied by current anxiety symptoms, characteristics of the problem and personal experience with dementia. CONCLUSION The emotional impact of memory problems tended to differ by affective symptoms, not cognitive status. Older adults who report memory concerns without objective evidence of impairment may be at risk for negative impacts to mental health and well-being. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Cognitive screening guidelines should consider best practices for responding to memory concerns when cognitive testing results are normal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki L. Hill
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Emily Bratlee‐Whitaker
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Rachel K. Wion
- School of Nursing Indiana University Indianapolis Indiana USA
| | - Caroline Madrigal
- Providence VA Medical Center Center of Innovation in Long‐Term Services and Supports Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - Sakshi Bhargava
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Jacqueline Mogle
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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21
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Alzheimer disease in African American individuals: increased incidence or not enough data? Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 18:56-62. [PMID: 34873310 PMCID: PMC8647782 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00589-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Research on racial differences in Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia has increased in recent years. Older African American individuals bear a disproportionate burden of AD and cognitive impairment compared with non-Latino white individuals. Tremendous progress has been made over the past two decades in our understanding of the neurobiological substrates of AD. However, owing to well-documented challenges of study participant recruitment and a persistent lack of biological data in the African American population, knowledge of the drivers of these racial disparities has lagged behind. Therapeutic targets and effective interventions for AD are increasingly sought, but without a better understanding of the disease in African American individuals, any identified treatments and/or cures will evade this rapidly growing at-risk population. In this Perspective, I introduce three key obstacles to progress in understanding racial differences in AD: uncertainty about diagnostic criteria, disparate cross-sectional and longitudinal findings; and a dearth of neuropathological data. I also highlight evidence-informed strategies to move the field forward. In this Perspective, Barnes introduces three key obstacles to progress in our understanding of racial differences in Alzheimer disease and highlights evidence-informed strategies that can move the field forward.
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22
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Troyanskaya M, Pastorek NJ, Wilde EA, Tombridge KA, Day AM, Levin HS, Scheibel RS. Risk factors for decline in cognitive performance following deployment-related mild traumatic brain injury: A preliminary report. Neurocase 2021; 27:457-461. [PMID: 34783300 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2021.2002912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Thorough identification of risk factors for delayed decline in cognitive performance following combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is important for guiding comprehensive post-deployment rehabilitation. In a sample of veterans who reported at least one deployment-related mTBI, preliminary results indicate that factors including a history of loss of consciousness over 1 min, current obesity and hypertension, and Black race were more prevalent in those with decreased scores on a measure of memory function. These factors should be considered by clinicians and researchers working with current and former military personnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Troyanskaya
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, TX, USA.,H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA
| | - Nicholas J Pastorek
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, TX, USA.,H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Wilde
- H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Salt Lake City, Ut, USA
| | | | - Alyssa M Day
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Psychology. Houston, University of Houston, TX, USA
| | - Harvey S Levin
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, TX, USA.,H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA.,Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, TX, USA
| | - Randall S Scheibel
- Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, TX, USA.,H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, Tx, USA
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23
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Devlin KN, Brennan L, Saad L, Giovannetti T, Hamilton RH, Wolk DA, Xie SX, Mechanic-Hamilton D. Diagnosing Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Racially Diverse Older Adults: Comparison of Consensus, Actuarial, and Statistical Methods. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:627-644. [PMID: 34864658 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Actuarial and statistical methods have been proposed as alternatives to conventional methods of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with the aim of enhancing diagnostic and prognostic validity, but have not been compared in racially diverse samples. OBJECTIVE We compared the agreement of consensus, actuarial, and statistical MCI diagnostic methods, and their relationship to race and prognostic indicators among diverse older adults. METHODS Participants (N = 354; M age = 71; 68% White, 29% Black) were diagnosed with MCI or normal cognition (NC) according to clinical consensus, actuarial neuropsychological criteria (Jak/Bondi), and latent class analysis (LCA). We examined associations with race/ethnicity, longitudinal cognitive and functional change, and incident dementia. RESULTS MCI rates by consensus, actuarial criteria, and LCA were 44%, 53%, and 41%, respectively. LCA identified three MCI subtypes (memory; memory/language; memory/executive) and two NC classes (low normal; high normal). Diagnostic agreement was substantial, but agreement of the actuarial method with consensus and LCA was weaker than the agreement between consensus and LCA. Among cases classified as MCI by actuarial criteria only, Black participants were over-represented, and outcomes were generally similar to those of NC participants. Consensus diagnoses best predicted longitudinal outcomes overall, whereas actuarial diagnoses best predicted longitudinal functional change among Black participants. CONCLUSION Consensus diagnoses optimize specificity in predicting dementia, but among Black older adults, actuarial diagnoses may be more sensitive to early signs of decline. Results highlight the need for cross-cultural validity in MCI diagnosis and should be explored in community- and population-based samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn N Devlin
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laura Brennan
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laura Saad
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | | | - Roy H Hamilton
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David A Wolk
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sharon X Xie
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dawn Mechanic-Hamilton
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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24
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Tanner JJ, Hanchate S, Price CC, Garvan C, Lai S, Staud R, Deshpande H, Deutsch G, Goodin BR, Fillingim RB, Sibille KT. Relationships Between Chronic Pain Stage, Cognition, Temporal Lobe Cortex, and Sociodemographic Variables. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:1539-1551. [PMID: 33720889 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-Hispanic black (NHB) individuals have increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) relative to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Ethnicity/race can serve as a proxy sociodemographic variable for a complex representation of sociocultural and environmental factors. Chronic pain is a form of stress with high prevalence and sociodemographic disparities. Chronic pain is linked to lower cognition and accelerated biological aging. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to seek understanding of potential cognitive and temporal lobe structural brain AD vulnerabilities based on chronic pain stage and ethnicity/race. METHODS Participants included 147 community dwelling NHB and NHW adults without dementia between 45-85 years old who had or were at risk of knee osteoarthritis. All participants received an MRI (3T Philips), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and assessment of clinical knee pain stage. RESULTS There were ethnic/race group differences in MoCA scores but no relationships with chronic knee pain stage. Ethnicity/race moderated the relationship between AD-related temporal lobe thickness and chronic pain stage with quadratic patterns suggesting thinner cortex in high chronic pain stage NHB adults. CONCLUSION There appear to be complex relationships between chronic knee pain stage, temporal lobe cortex, and sociodemographic variables. Specifically, NHB participants without dementia but with high chronic knee pain stage appeared to have thinner temporal cortex in areas associated with AD. Understanding the effects of sociocultural and socioeconomic factors on health outcomes is the first step to challenging the disparities in healthcare that now appear to link disease conditions to neurodegenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared J Tanner
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Shivani Hanchate
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Catherine C Price
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Cynthia Garvan
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Song Lai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Roland Staud
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hrishikesh Deshpande
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Georg Deutsch
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Burel R Goodin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Roger B Fillingim
- Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kimberly T Sibille
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Department of Aging & Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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25
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Tan SC, Gamaldo AA, Brick T, Thorpe RJ, Allaire JC, Whitfield KE. The Effects of Selective Survival on Black Adults' Cognitive Development. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:1489-1498. [PMID: 33406264 PMCID: PMC8436692 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The theory of selective survival suggests that possibly around 70-75 years of age, Blacks may display substantive changes in their pattern of cognitive decline. This study examined the age-graded pattern of cognitive decline within older Blacks by describing a trend that characterizes differences in the change of cognitive decline from ages 51.5 to 95.5, and hypothesized that this age-graded pattern is nonlinear. METHOD Utilizing 2 waves of longitudinal data from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging, this study used multilevel modeling to test whether the interaction between age and the 3-year study period (time between waves) had a positive effect on changes in inductive reasoning, declarative memory, working memory, and perceptual speed. RESULTS A significant positive interaction between age and wave was found for inductive reasoning, demonstrating an age-grade pattern of change/decline in cognitive pattern for Blacks aged 51.5-95.4. Simple slope probing via the Johnson-Neyman Technique suggested that Black adults ~64 years and younger experienced significant decline in inductive reasoning across study time, whereas for those older than 63.71, the decline was nonsignificant. No significant age-wave interactions were found for declarative memory, working memory, or perceptual speed. DISCUSSION Findings suggest a selective survival effect for inductive reasoning ability among Blacks. With decline evident so early, common cognitive intervention programs targeting adults 65+ may come too late for Blacks, signifying the importance and urgency for early health interventions and public policy designed to promote cognitive reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyuan Ching Tan
- Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Alyssa A Gamaldo
- Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
- School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Timothy Brick
- Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Roland J Thorpe
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jason C Allaire
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
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26
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Brown MJ, Patterson R. Gendered racial differences and similarities in subjective cognitive decline and life satisfaction: results from a population-based sample. Aging Ment Health 2021; 25:1636-1641. [PMID: 32338058 PMCID: PMC7593990 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2020.1758910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to: 1) Determine the association between subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and life satisfaction; and 2) Assess the gendered racial/ethnic disparities in the association between SCD and life satisfaction. METHOD Data were obtained from 3,795 participants from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. SCD was operationalized by "During the past 12 months, have you experienced confusion or memory loss that is happening more often or is getting worse?" Life satisfaction was operationalized by the question "In general how satisfied are you with your life?" Interaction terms of SCD*sex, SCD*race/ethnicity, and SCD*sex*race/ethnicity were used to determine potential effect measure modification. Crude and adjusted linear regression models, controlling for age, education, income and employment, were used to assess the association between SCD and life satisfaction by sex, race, and by gendered racial/ethnic groups: Black women, White women, Hispanic women, Other women; and Black men, White men, Hispanic men and Other men. RESULTS SCD was negatively associated with life satisfaction in the overall sample (β: -0.55; 95% CI: -0.66, -0.43). However, the negative associations seen across gender, race/ethnicity, and gendered racial/ethnic groups were statistically similar (p for interaction terms > 0.05). The highest effect estimate was seen for Other men (β: -1.22; 95% CI: -1.37, -1.09). CONCLUSION Interventions geared towards improving cognition may improve life satisfaction for all groups, irrespective of gender and/or race/ethnicity. Future research may include longitudinal studies to determine the temporal sequence between SCD and life satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique J. Brown
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC,South Carolina SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC,Rural and Minority Health Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC,Office of the Study on Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
| | - Robert Patterson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
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27
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Thames AD, Nunez R, Slavich GM, Irwin MR, Senturk D. Racial differences in health and cognition as a function of HIV among older adults. Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 36:367-387. [PMID: 34429015 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1967449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the contribution of health risk factors (using the Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI]) on cognitive outcomes in a sample of 380 HIV-positive (HIV+; n = 221) and HIV-seronegative (HIV-; n = 159) African American and European American adults aged 50+. Participants were recruited from HIV clinics and community advertisements. HIV status was confirmed by serological testing. Self-report and chart history review was used to gather information about medical ssscomorbidities. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to create a comorbidity score. Participants were administered a brief cognitive test battery. As expected, health risks were greater among those with HIV. There was a HIV × Race interaction on CCI scores, such that in the HIV + group, European Americans had significantly higher CCI scores (M = 3.74; SD = 2.1) than African American HIV + participants (M = 2.70; SD = 1.9). However, in the HIV - group, African Americans had significantly higher CCI scores (M = 2.20; SD = 1.1) than HIV - European American participants (M = 1.80; SD = 1.2). Also, consistent with hypotheses, across the entire sample CCI score was significantly associated with global cognition (β = -.24, p = .02). Study results underscore the importance of considering HIV serostatus in studies examining racial disparities in health, and how multiple medical risks relate to cognitive outcomes. Neuropsychologists evaluating patients living with HIV should consider how the presence of multiple medical comorbidities may contribute to the course of cognitive decline as people age.
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Affiliation(s)
- April D Thames
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rodolfo Nunez
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - George M Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Damla Senturk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Parisi JM, Sharifian N, Rebok GW, Aiken-Morgan AT, Gross AL, Zahodne LB. Subjective memory, objective memory, and race over a 10-year period: Findings from the ACTIVE study. Psychol Aging 2021; 36:572-583. [PMID: 34351184 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The longitudinal associations between subjective and objective memory functioning in later life remain unclear. This may be due, in part, to sociodemographic differences across studies, given the hypothesis that these associations differ across racial groups. Using data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE; N = 2,694; 26% African American), multiple-group, parallel-process latent growth curve models were used to explore relationships between subjective and objective memory over 10 years and assess racial differences in these associations. Across African Americans and whites, we found bidirectional associations between subjective and objective memory such that greater self-reported forgetting at baseline predicted faster subsequent verbal episodic memory declines, and higher baseline objective memory scores predicted less increase in self-reported forgetting over time. However, rates of change in self-reported frequency of forgetting were correlated with rates of change in verbal episodic memory in whites, but not in African Americans. Subjective memory complaints may be a harbinger of future memory declines across African Americans and whites but may not track with objective memory in the same way across these racial groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M Parisi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
| | | | - George W Rebok
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
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29
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Zahodne LB, Sharifian N, Kraal AZ, Zaheed AB, Sol K, Morris EP, Schupf N, Manly JJ, Brickman AM. Socioeconomic and psychosocial mechanisms underlying racial/ethnic disparities in cognition among older adults. Neuropsychology 2021; 35:265-275. [PMID: 33970660 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive aging are only partly attributable to socioeconomic indicators. Psychosocial factors, such as discrimination and perceived control, also differ across racial/ethnic groups, and emerging literature highlights their potential role in contributing to cognitive disparities in addition to socioeconomic status. Method: 1,463 older adults (51% Hispanic, 27% non-Hispanic Black, and 22% non-Hispanic White) in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project completed cognitive and psychosocial measures, including a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, Everyday and Major Experiences of Lifetime Discrimination scales, and the Perceived Control scale. Mediation models quantified separate indirect effects of Black race and Hispanic ethnicity on global cognitive composite scores through education, income, discrimination, and external perceived control. Results: Educational attainment, income, and perceived control each mediated racial/ethnic disparities in global cognition. Socioeconomic indicators (i.e., lower education and lower income) explained approximately 50% of the Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities in global cognition, and more external perceived control explained an additional 5%-8%. Hispanics reported the lowest levels of discrimination, while non-Hispanic Blacks reported the highest levels. However, neither everyday nor major lifetime discrimination was associated with global cognition. Significant racial/ethnic disparities in global cognition remained after accounting for the included socioeconomic and psychosocial factors. Conclusions: This study suggests that psychosocial factors may explain racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive aging above and beyond socioeconomic indicators. More external perceived control, which could reflect chronic exposure to interpersonal and institutional marginalization, may be a particularly salient psychosocial risk factor for poorer cognitive aging among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ketlyne Sol
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
| | | | - Nicole Schupf
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Department of Neurology, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University
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30
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Dixon JS, Coyne AE, Duff K, Ready RE. Predictors of cognitive decline in a multi-racial sample of midlife women: A longitudinal study. Neuropsychology 2021; 35:514-528. [PMID: 34014752 PMCID: PMC8352567 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Hypertension, diabetes, depressive symptoms, and smoking are predictors of cognitive decline in late life. It is unknown if these risk factors are associated with cognition during midlife or if the associations between these risk factors and cognition vary by race. This longitudinal study examined (a) risk factors for decline in episodic memory, processing speed, and working memory in midlife women and (b) if the associations between risk factors and cognitive decline were moderated by race. Method: Participants (aged 42-52) were European American (n = 1,000), African American (n = 516), and Asian American (n = 437) women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Two-level hierarchical linear models tested risk factors, race, and their interactions as predictors of cognitive change over time. Results: African Americans had poorer baseline episodic memory, processing speed, and working memory and greater episodic memory decline compared to European Americans. Asian Americans had poorer episodic memory and working memory, but better processing speed than European Americans. Depressive symptoms were associated with poorer episodic memory and processing speed at baseline; further, diabetes was associated with poorer processing speed at baseline. Greater depressive symptoms were associated with poorer episodic memory at baseline for African Americans but not European Americans. Conclusions: Our study results highlight racial disparities in cognition during midlife. Depressive symptoms may be particularly detrimental to the cognitive health of African Americans. Clinical and public health interventions for healthy cognitive aging should be tailored to the unique risks of racial groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine S. Dixon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
| | - Alice E. Coyne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
| | - Kevin Duff
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Rebecca E. Ready
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA
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Meza E, Peterson R, Gilsanz P, George KM, Miles SJ, Eng CW, Mungas DM, Mayeda ER, Glymour MM, Whitmer RA. Perceived Discrimination, Nativity, and Cognitive Performance in a Multi-ethnic Study of Older Adults: Findings from the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE) Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 77:e65-e73. [PMID: 34125189 PMCID: PMC8824601 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite growing research on the association between discrimination and disparities in cognitive aging, an evidence gap remains on how the association varies by racial/ethnic group. This study evaluates the associations of experiences of discrimination with cognitive function and whether these associations varied by race/ethnicity and nativity. METHODS Using the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE) cohort (N=1,712) with approximately equal groups of Black, White, Latino, and Asian community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older, we evaluated the associations between self-reported experiences of everyday and major lifetime discrimination with overall cognitive performance and domain-specific cognition (verbal episodic memory, semantic memory and executive functioning) across race/ethnicity and nativity. Linear regression models examined the cross-sectional association between self-reported experiences of everyday and major lifetime discrimination with z-standardized coefficients for cognition. We tested for effect modification by race and nativity. All models controlled for age, sex and education. RESULTS Among KHANDLE participants (mean age: 76 years; standard deviation: 6.8), everyday discrimination was not associated with cognitive scores. Major lifetime discrimination was associated with better average cognitive scores among Black participants but not among other racial/ethnic groups. Major lifetime discrimination was associated with better average cognitive scores among US-born but not among non-US born individuals. CONCLUSION Our findings do not imply that discrimination improves cognition, but rather suggest that future research should include more detailed measures on discrimination and unfair treatment that could help disentangle the extent to which relationships are causal or reflect some other underlying factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Meza
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA
| | - Rachel Peterson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Paola Gilsanz
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA
| | - Kristen M George
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Sunita J Miles
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA
| | - Chloe W Eng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA.,Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA
| | - Dan M Mungas
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
| | - M Maria Glymour
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA
| | - Rachel A Whitmer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.,Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA
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32
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George KM, Gilsanz P, Peterson RL, Barnes LL, DeCarli CS, Mayeda ER, Mungas DM, Whitmer RA. Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescence, Young Adulthood, and Midlife on Late-Life Cognition: Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 76:1692-1698. [PMID: 34387334 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Midlife cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) increase risk of dementia. Black Americans experience an elevated prevalence of CVRFs and dementia. However, little is known of how CVRFs prior to midlife affect late-life cognition. We examined CVRFs in adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife with late-life cognition in the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR). METHOD STAR assesses cognitive aging among 764 Black Americans aged ≥50 (mean age = 69; SD = 9; range = 53-95). Participants' body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, and total cholesterol were collected during Multiphasic Health Checkups (MHC; 1964-1985). At STAR baseline (2018-2019), executive function, verbal episodic memory, and semantic memory were measured using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales. Linear regression models examined associations between CVRFs and cognition adjusting for demographics and years since MHC. RESULTS At MHC, 36% of participants had 1 CVRF and 26% had ≥2. Twenty-two percent of participants were adolescents (age 12-20), 62% young adults (age 21-34), and 16% midlife adults (age 35-56). Overweight/obesity was not associated with cognition. Hypertension was associated with worse executive function (β [95% CI]: -0.14 [-0.28, -0.0003]) and verbal episodic memory (β [95% CI]: -0.22 [-0.37, -0.07]) compared to normotension. Diabetes was associated with worse executive function (β [95% CI]: -0.43 [-0.83, -0.03]). Having ≥2 CVRFs (vs 0) was associated with worse executive function (β [95% CI]: -0.19 [-0.34, -0.03]) and verbal episodic memory (β [95% CI]: -0.25 [-0.41, -0.08]). Adolescents with hypertension had lower late-life executive function compared to normotensive adolescents (β [95% CI]: -0.39 [-0.67, -0.11]). Young adulthood hypertension (β [95% CI]: -0.29 [-0.49, -0.09]) and midlife hyperlipidemia (β [95% CI]: -0.386 [-0.70, -0.02]) were associated with lower verbal episodic memory. CONCLUSIONS Among Black Americans, life-course CVRFs were associated with poorer executive function and verbal episodic memory emphasizing the importance of cardiovascular health on the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M George
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA
| | - Paola Gilsanz
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, California, USA
| | - Rachel L Peterson
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA
| | - Lisa L Barnes
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Charles S DeCarli
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Dan M Mungas
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA
| | - Rachel A Whitmer
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA.,Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, California, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, USA
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Caunca MR, Odden MC, Glymour MM, Elfassy T, Kershaw KN, Sidney S, Yaffe K, Launer L, Zeki Al Hazzouri A. Association of Racial Residential Segregation Throughout Young Adulthood and Cognitive Performance in Middle-aged Participants in the CARDIA Study. JAMA Neurol 2021; 77:1000-1007. [PMID: 32364578 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.0860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Importance Neighborhood-level residential segregation is implicated as a determinant for poor health outcomes in black individuals, but it is unclear whether this association extends to cognitive aging, especially in midlife. Objective To examine the association between cumulative exposure to residential segregation during 25 years of young adulthood among black individuals and cognitive performance in midlife. Design, Setting, and Participants The ongoing prospective cohort Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study recruited 5115 black and white participants aged 18 to 30 years from 4 field centers at the University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; and Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California. Data were acquired from February 1985 to May 2011. Among the surviving CARDIA cohort, 3671 (71.8%) attended examination year 25 of the study in 2010, when cognition was measured, and 3008 (81.9%) of those completed the cognitive assessments. To account for time-varying confounding and differential censoring, marginal structural models using inverse probability weighting were applied. Data were analyzed from April 16 to July 20, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Racial residential segregation was measured using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic, and the mean cumulative exposure to segregation was calculated across 6 follow-up visits from baseline to year 25 of the study, then categorized into high, medium, and low segregation. Cognitive function was measured at year 25 of the study, using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Stroop color test (reverse coded), and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. To facilitate comparison of estimates, z scores were calculated for all cognitive tests. Results A total of 1568 black participants with available cognition data were included in the analysis. At baseline, participants had a mean (SD) age of 25 (4) years and consisted of 936 women (59.7%). Greater cumulative exposure to segregated neighborhoods was associated with a worse DSST z score (for high segregation, β = -0.37 [95% CI, -0.61 to -0.13]; for medium segregation, β = -0.25 [95% CI, -0.51 to 0.0002]) relative to exposure to low segregation. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, exposure to residential segregation throughout young adulthood was associated with worse processing speed among black participants as early as in midlife. This association may potentially explain black-white disparities in dementia risk at older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R Caunca
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.,Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.,Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Michelle C Odden
- Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - M Maria Glymour
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Tali Elfassy
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.,Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Kiarri N Kershaw
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Stephen Sidney
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Lenore Launer
- Neuroepidemiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York
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Wang C, Katz MJ, Chang KH, Qin J, Lipton RB, Zwerling JL, Sliwinski MJ, Derby CA, Rabin LA. UDSNB 3.0 Neuropsychological Test Norms in Older Adults from a Diverse Community: Results from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS). J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:1665-1678. [PMID: 34420967 PMCID: PMC8805183 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Uniform Data Set, Version 3 Neuropsychological Battery (UDSNB3.0), from the database of the University of Washington's National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC), is widely used to characterize cognitive performance in clinical and research settings; however, norms for underrepresented community-based samples are scarce. OBJECTIVE We compared UDSNB 3.0 test scores between the Einstein Aging Study (EAS), composed of racially/ethnically diverse, community-dwelling older adults aged≥70 and the NACC, and report normative data from the EAS. METHODS Analyses included 225 cognitively normal EAS participants and comparable data from 5,031 NACC database participants. Linear regression models compared performance between the samples, adjusting for demographics (sex, age, education, race/ethnicity), depressive symptoms, and whether English was the first language. Linear regression models to examine demographic factors including age, sex, education and race/ethnicity as predictors for the neuropsychological tests were applied in EAS and NACC separately and were used to create a demographically adjusted z-score calculator. RESULTS Cognitive performance across all domains was worse in the EAS than in the NACC, adjusting for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, and depression, and the differences remained in visuo-construction, visuospatial memory, confrontation naming, visual attention/processing speed, and executive functioning after further adjusting for whether English was the first language. In both samples, non-Hispanic Whites outperformed non-Hispanic Blacks and more education was associated with better cognitive performance. CONCLUSION Differences observed in demographic, clinical, and cognitive characteristics between the community-based EAS sample and the nationwide NACC sample suggest that separate normative data that more accurately reflect non-clinic, community-based populations should be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiling Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Mindy J. Katz
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Katherine H. Chang
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), Queens, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiyue Qin
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Richard B. Lipton
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jessica L. Zwerling
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Martin J. Sliwinski
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Carol A. Derby
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Laura A. Rabin
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Denny A, Streitz M, Stock K, Balls-Berry JE, Barnes LL, Byrd GS, Croff R, Gao S, Glover CM, Hendrie HC, Hu WT, Manly JJ, Moulder KL, Stark S, Thomas SB, Whitmer R, Wong R, Morris JC, Lingler JH. Perspective on the "African American participation in Alzheimer disease research: Effective strategies" workshop, 2018. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 16:1734-1744. [PMID: 33034414 PMCID: PMC7887120 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Washington University School of Medicine Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center's "African American Participation in Alzheimer Disease Research: Effective Strategies" Workshop convened to address a major limitation of the ongoing scientific progress regarding Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD): participants in most ADRD research programs overwhelmingly have been limited to non-Hispanic white persons, thus precluding knowledge as to how ADRD may be represented in non-white individuals. Factors that may contribute to successful recruitment and retention of African Americans into ADRD research were discussed and organized into actionable next steps as described within this report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Denny
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Marissa Streitz
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kristin Stock
- Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Joyce E Balls-Berry
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Lisa L Barnes
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Goldie S Byrd
- Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Raina Croff
- Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Sujuan Gao
- Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Crystal M Glover
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Hugh C Hendrie
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Jennifer J Manly
- Department of Neurology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Krista L Moulder
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Susan Stark
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Stephen B Thomas
- Maryland Center for Health Equity, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachel Whitmer
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Roger Wong
- Public Health Sciences Brown School, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Harvey A & Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jennifer H Lingler
- School of Nursing and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Katz B, Turney I, Lee JH, Amini R, Ajrouch K, Antonucci T. Race/Ethnic Differences in Social Resources as Cognitive Risk and Protective Factors. RESEARCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 2020; 17:57-77. [PMID: 34093091 DOI: 10.1080/15427609.2020.1743809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Overall social network size, often the sum of common lifetime relationships, including children, family, and friends, has been linked to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. However, little research has examined the association between network size composition and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults in the context of race/ethnicity. We investigated the associations between the number of close children, family, and friends independently with executive function (EF) and memory across a subsample of non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White participants who completed the Health and Retirement Study Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (N = 2,395). We found that network size composition was more closely linked to EF than memory and that these associations varied by race/ethnicity. Specifically, the strongest associations existed between EF and quadratic estimates of the number of close children of non-Hispanic Black participants, and number of close family members for Hispanic participants. Among Black participants, a curvilinear relationship indicated that two close children were associated with greater EF, while a smaller or larger number of close children were associated with lower EF. On the other hand, among Hispanic participants, higher EF was associated with fewer (0-1) and greater (4-5+) numbers of family member contacts. Overall, these results indicate that examining children, family, and friends independently may be more useful than the common practice of aggregation of overall network size, especially in the context of race/ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Katz
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA,USA
| | - Indira Turney
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Reza Amini
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI, USA
| | - Kristine Ajrouch
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Toni Antonucci
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Kulick ER, Elkind MSV, Boehme AK, Joyce NR, Schupf N, Kaufman JD, Mayeux R, Manly JJ, Wellenius GA. Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution, APOE-ε4 status, and cognitive decline in a cohort of older adults in northern Manhattan. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 136:105440. [PMID: 31926436 PMCID: PMC7024003 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is mounting evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution is related to accelerated cognitive decline in aging populations. Factors that influence individual susceptibility remain largely unknown, but may involve the apolipoprotein E genotype E4 (APOE-ε4) allele. OBJECTIVES We assessed whether the association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive decline differed by APOE-ε4 status and cognitive risk factors. METHODS The Washington Heights Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) is a prospective study of aging and dementia. Neuropsychological testing and medical examinations occur every 18-24 months. We used mixed-effects models to evaluate whether the association between markers of ambient air pollution (nitrogen dioxide [NO2]), fine [PM2.5], and coarse [PM10] particulate matter) and the rate of decline in global and domain-specific cognition differed across strata defined by APOE-ε4 genotypes and cognitive risk factors, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and temporal trends. RESULTS Among 4821 participants with an average of 6 years follow-up, higher concentrations of ambient air pollution were associated with more rapid cognitive decline. This association was more pronounced among APOE-ε4 carriers (p < 0.001). A one interquartile range increase in NO2 was associated with an additional decline of 0.09 standard deviations (SD) (95%CI -0.1, -0.06) in global cognition across biennial visits among APOE-ε4 positive individuals and a 0.07 SD (95%CI -0.09, -0.05) decline among APOE-ε4 negative individuals. Results for PM2.5, PM10 and cognitive domains were similar. The association between air pollutants and rate of cognitive decline also varied across strata of race-ethnicity with the association strongest among White non-Hispanic participants. CONCLUSIONS These results add to the body of evidence on the adverse impact of ambient air pollution on cognitive aging and brain health and provide new insights into the genetic and behavioral factors that may impact individual susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Kulick
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Mitchell S V Elkind
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amelia K Boehme
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina R Joyce
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Nicole Schupf
- Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joel D Kaufman
- Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory A Wellenius
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
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Lekhak N, Bhatta TR, Zauszniewski JA. Episodic Memory in Later Life: Benefits of Prayer and Meditation. J Holist Nurs 2020; 38:30-40. [DOI: 10.1177/0898010119898547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To examine the effects of prayer and meditation on the episodic memory of older adults. Design: Secondary analysis of Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Method: Drawing from a subsample of HRS ( n = 1,135), this study utilized generalized estimating equation regression models to examine the effects of meditation and prayer on changes in episodic memory of older adults over time. Findings: Findings show a statistically significant positive effect of the use of prayer (0.50, p < .05) on episodic memory score at baseline. We also observed a slight gain in episodic memory over time for older adults who used prayer (0.04, p = .05). Meditation was not found to have a statistically significant effect on changes in memory in later life. Conclusion: This study illustrates the benefits of prayer in preserving memory and provides much needed empirical basis for community-level interventions to enhance memory in later life.
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Alosco ML, Tripodis Y, Koerte IK, Jackson JD, Chua AS, Mariani M, Haller O, Foley ÉM, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Singh B, Green K, Lepage C, Muehlmann M, Makris N, Cantu RC, Lin AP, Coleman M, Pasternak O, Mez J, Bouix S, Shenton ME, Stern RA. Interactive Effects of Racial Identity and Repetitive Head Impacts on Cognitive Function, Structural MRI-Derived Volumetric Measures, and Cerebrospinal Fluid Tau and Aβ. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:440. [PMID: 31920598 PMCID: PMC6933867 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Factors of increased prevalence among individuals with Black racial identity (e.g., cardiovascular disease, CVD) may influence the association between exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) from American football and later-life neurological outcomes. Here, we tested the interaction between racial identity and RHI on neurobehavioral outcomes, brain volumetric measures, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau181), and Aβ1 - 42 in symptomatic former National Football League (NFL) players. METHODS 68 symptomatic male former NFL players (ages 40-69; n = 27 Black, n = 41 White) underwent neuropsychological testing, structural MRI, and lumbar puncture. FreeSurfer derived estimated intracranial volume (eICV), gray matter volume (GMV), white matter volume (WMV), subcortical GMV, hippocampal volume, and white matter (WM) hypointensities. Multivariate generalized linear models examined the main effects of racial identity and its interaction with a cumulative head impact index (CHII) on all outcomes. Age, years of education, Wide Range Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WRAT-4) scores, CVD risk factors, and APOEε4 were included as covariates; eICV was included for MRI models. P-values were false discovery rate adjusted. RESULTS Compared to White former NFL players, Black participants were 4 years younger (p = 0.04), had lower WRAT-4 scores (mean difference = 8.03, p = 0.002), and a higher BMI (mean difference = 3.09, p = 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (mean difference = 8.15, p = 0.03). With regards to group differences on the basis of racial identity, compared to White former NFL players, Black participants had lower GMV (mean adjusted difference = 45649.00, p = 0.001), lower right hippocampal volume (mean adjusted difference = 271.96, p = 0.02), and higher p-tau181/t-tau ratio (mean adjusted difference = -0.25, p = 0.01). There was not a statistically significant association between the CHII with GMV, right hippocampal volume, or p-tau181/t-tau ratio. However, there was a statistically significant Race x CHII interaction for GMV (b = 2206.29, p = 0.001), right hippocampal volume (b = 12.07, p = 0.04), and p-tau181/t-tau ratio concentrations (b = -0.01, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION Continued research on racial neurological disparities could provide insight into risk factors for long-term neurological disorders associated with American football play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Inga K. Koerte
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic, and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jonathan D. Jackson
- CARE Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alicia S. Chua
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan Mariani
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Olivia Haller
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Éimear M. Foley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brett M. Martin
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joseph Palmisano
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Bhupinder Singh
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Katie Green
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Christian Lepage
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marc Muehlmann
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikos Makris
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Neural Systems Investigations, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Robert C. Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, United States
| | - Alexander P. Lin
- Department of Radiology, Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael Coleman
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Martha E. Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Brockton, MA, United States
| | - Robert A. Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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Zahodne LB, Mayeda ER, Hohman TJ, Fletcher E, Racine AM, Gavett B, Manly JJ, Schupf N, Mayeux R, Brickman AM, Mungas D. The role of education in a vascular pathway to episodic memory: brain maintenance or cognitive reserve? Neurobiol Aging 2019; 84:109-118. [PMID: 31539647 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Educational attainment is associated with cognition among older adults, but this association is complex and not well understood. While associated with better cognition among healthy adults, more education predicts faster decline in older adults with cognitive impairment. Education may influence cognitive functioning through mechanisms involving brain maintenance (BM: reduced age-related pathology) or cognitive reserve (CR: altered pathology-cognition association). We examined evidence for each mechanism by quantifying main and interaction effects of education within a well-studied pathway involving systolic blood pressure, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and episodic memory in 2 samples without dementia at the baseline (total N = 1136). There were no effects of education on systolic blood pressure or WMH, suggesting a lack of evidence for BM. In the sample less likely to progress to dementia, education attenuated the effect of WMH on memory at the baseline. In the sample more likely to progress to dementia, education exacerbated this effect at the baseline. These moderations provide evidence for a CR mechanism and are consistent with previous findings of faster decline once CR is depleted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Zahodne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Evan Fletcher
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Brandon Gavett
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicole Schupf
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Departments of Epidemiology and Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Departments of Neurology, Epidemiology, and Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dan Mungas
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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Kritchevsky SB, Forman DE, Callahan KE, Ely EW, High KP, McFarland F, Pérez-Stable EJ, Schmader KE, Studenski SA, Williams J, Zieman S, Guralnik JM. Pathways, Contributors, and Correlates of Functional Limitation Across Specialties: Workshop Summary. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2019; 74:534-543. [PMID: 29697758 PMCID: PMC6417483 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gly093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional clinical care models focus on the measurement and normalization of individual organ systems and de-emphasize aspects of health related to the integration of physiologic systems. Measures of physical, cognitive and sensory, and psychosocial or emotional function predict important health outcomes like death and disability independently from the severity of a specific disease, cumulative co-morbidity, or disease severity measures. A growing number of clinical scientists in several subspecialties are exploring the utility of functional assessment to predict complication risk, indicate stress resistance, inform disease screening approaches and risk factor interpretation, and evaluate care. Because a substantial number of older adults in the community have some form of functional limitation, integrating functional assessment into clinical medicine could have a large impact. Although interest in functional implications for health and disease management is growing, the science underlying functional capacity, functional limitation, physical frailty, and functional metrics is often siloed among different clinicians and researchers, with fragmented concepts and methods. On August 25-26, 2016, participants at a trans-disciplinary workshop, supported by the National Institute on Aging and the John A. Hartford Foundation, explored what is known about the pathways, contributors, and correlates of physical, cognitive, and sensory functional measures across conditions and disease states; considered social determinants and health disparities; identified knowledge gaps, and suggested priorities for future research. This article summarizes those discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B Kritchevsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Daniel E Forman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kathryn E Callahan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - E Wesley Ely
- VA Tennessee Valley Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC) and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville
| | - Kevin P High
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Frances McFarland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jack M Guralnik
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
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Grant JE, Harries M, Chamberlain SR. Differences in the cognitive profile of depression between racial groups. Ann Clin Psychiatry 2018; 30:32-37. [PMID: 29373616 PMCID: PMC5788274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is little research concerning whether race is associated with different clinical presentations of psychiatric disorders. Understanding the racial aspects of cognitive differences among depressed adults could help identify specific targets for depression treatment. METHODS We recruited 59 participants (52.5% white, 47.5% African American), age 18 to 60, with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). All participants underwent a cognitive battery that included tasks assessing decision-making, response inhibition, working memory, and executive planning. Differences between white and African American groups were analyzed using analysis of variance or equivalent nonparametric tests. RESULTS There were no differences in demographic variables of age, sex, and education, but white individuals reported a significantly earlier age of first depressive episode compared with African American individuals. The African American group, however, showed significantly lower quality of decision-making and less risk adjustment on the Cambridge Gambling Task, and made more errors on the Spatial Working Memory task. CONCLUSIONS Our finding that specific cognitive domains differ as a function of racial differences in MDD might have differential prognostic and treatment implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon E Grant
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637 USA. E-mail:
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Zahodne LB, Manly JJ, Smith J, Seeman T, Lachman ME. Socioeconomic, health, and psychosocial mediators of racial disparities in cognition in early, middle, and late adulthood. Psychol Aging 2017; 32:118-130. [PMID: 28287782 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Racial disparities in cognitive performance exist across the life course, but it is not known whether mediators of disparities differ by age. Understanding sources of cognitive disparities at different ages can inform policies and interventions. Data were obtained for non-Hispanic Black and White respondents to The National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States from 3 age groups: 28-44 (N = 1210; 20% Black); 45-64 (N = 2693; 15% Black); and 65-85 (N = 1298; 11% Black). Moderated mediation models characterized direct and indirect effects of race on episodic memory and executive function composite scores through economic, health, and psychosocial variables as a function of age group. Education, income, chronic health conditions, and external locus of control mediated cognitive disparities across the life course, although income was a stronger mediator at younger ages. Perceived discrimination was a weaker mediator among young adults due to an absence of racial differences in perceived discrimination in that group. Despite multiple indirect effects, there were still significant unexplained effects of race on cognition that were not moderated by age group. Interventional work is needed to determine whether increasing educational attainment and income, and reducing chronic health conditions and perceived constraints among Blacks, reduce cognitive disparities. Targeting income inequality and discrimination (or buffering the impact of those variables) may be differently effective at reducing cognitive disparities at different stages of the adult life course. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University
| | - Jacqui Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
| | - Teresa Seeman
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
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