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Thanaraju A, Marzuki AA, Chan JK, Wong KY, Phon-Amnuaisuk P, Vafa S, Chew J, Chia YC, Jenkins M. Structural and functional brain correlates of socioeconomic status across the life span: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105716. [PMID: 38729281 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
It is well-established that higher socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with improved brain health. However, the effects of SES across different life stages on brain structure and function is still equivocal. In this systematic review, we aimed to synthesise findings from life course neuroimaging studies that investigated the structural and functional brain correlates of SES across the life span. The results indicated that higher SES across different life stages were independently and cumulatively related to neural outcomes typically reflective of greater brain health (e.g., increased cortical thickness, grey matter volume, fractional anisotropy, and network segregation) in adult individuals. The results also demonstrated that the corticolimbic system was most commonly impacted by socioeconomic disadvantages across the life span. This review highlights the importance of taking into account SES across the life span when studying its effects on brain health. It also provides directions for future research including the need for longitudinal and multimodal research that can inform effective policy interventions tailored to specific life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Thanaraju
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia.
| | - Aleya A Marzuki
- Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jee Kei Chan
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Kean Yung Wong
- Sensory Neuroscience and Nutrition Lab, University of Otago, New Zealand
| | - Paveen Phon-Amnuaisuk
- Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Samira Vafa
- Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia
| | - Jactty Chew
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia
| | - Yook Chin Chia
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia
| | - Michael Jenkins
- Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Malaysia
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2
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Morris EP, Turney IC, Palms JD, Zaheed AB, Sol K, Amarante E, Beato J, Chesebro AG, Morales CD, Manly JJ, Brickman AM, Zahodne LB. Racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between financial worry and white matter hyperintensities in Latinx, non-Latinx Black, and non-Latinx White older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 129:149-156. [PMID: 37331245 PMCID: PMC10878173 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.008] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and contributes to racial and ethnic health disparities. However, traditional measures of SES may not accurately represent individual financial circumstances among non-Latinx Black and Latinx older adults due to longstanding structural inequities. This study examined associations between multiple SES indicators (education, income, subjective financial worry) and WMHs across non-Latinx Black, Latinx, and non-Latinx White older adults in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (N = 662). Latinx participants reported the lowest SES and greatest financial worry, while Black participants evidenced the most WMHs. Greater financial worry was associated with higher WMHs volume above and beyond education and income, which were not associated with WMHs. However, this association was only evident among Latinx older adults. These results provide evidence for the minority poverty hypothesis and highlight the need for systemic socioeconomic interventions to alleviate brain health disparities in older adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Indira C Turney
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordan D Palms
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Afsara B Zaheed
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ketlyne Sol
- Social Environment and Health Program, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erica Amarante
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Juliet Beato
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anthony G Chesebro
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clarissa D Morales
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer J Manly
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam M Brickman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura B Zahodne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Shaked D, Katzel LI, Davatzikos C, Gullapalli RP, Seliger SL, Erus G, Evans MK, Zonderman AB, Waldstein SR. White matter integrity as a mediator between socioeconomic status and executive function. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1021857. [PMID: 36466616 PMCID: PMC9716285 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1021857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poorer executive function, but the neural mechanisms of this association remain unclear. As healthy brain communication is essential to our cognitive abilities, white matter integrity may be key to understanding socioeconomic disparities. Methods Participants were 201 African American and White adults (ages 33-72) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to estimate regional fractional anisotropy as a measure of white matter integrity. Adjusting for age, analyses examined if integrity of the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), external capsule (EC), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and cingulum mediated SES-executive function relations. Results Lower SES was related to poorer cognitive performance and white matter integrity. Lower Trails B performance was related to poorer integrity of the ALIC, EC, and SLF, and lower Stroop performance was associated with poorer integrity of the ALIC and EC. ALIC mediated the SES-Trails B relation, and EC mediated the SES-Trails B and SES-Stroop relations. Sensitivity analyses revealed that (1) adjustment for race rendered the EC mediations non-significant, (2) when using poverty status and continuous education as predictors, results were largely the same, (3) at least some of the study's findings may generalize to processing speed, (4) mediations are not age-dependent in our sample, and (5) more research is needed to understand the role of cardiovascular risk factors in these models. Discussion Findings demonstrate that poorer white matter integrity helps explain SES disparities in executive function and highlight the need for further clarification of the biopsychosocial mechanisms of the SES-cognition association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Shaked
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Psychology, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Leslie I. Katzel
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (AIBIL), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rao P. Gullapalli
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Stephen L. Seliger
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Guray Erus
- Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Imaging Laboratory (AIBIL), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michele K. Evans
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alan B. Zonderman
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shari R. Waldstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Suryoputri N, Kiesow H, Bzdok D. Population variation in social brain morphology: Links to socioeconomic status and health disparity. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:305-327. [PMID: 35658811 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2083230] [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: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Health disparity across layers of society involves reasons beyond the healthcare system. Socioeconomic status (SES) shapes people's daily interaction with their social environment and is known to impact various health outcomes. Using generative probabilistic modeling, we investigate health satisfaction and complementary indicators of socioeconomic lifestyle in the human social brain. In a population cohort of ~10,000 UK Biobank participants, our first analysis probed the relationship between health status and subjective social standing (i.e., financial satisfaction). We identified volume effects in participants unhappy with their health in regions of the higher associative cortex, especially the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and bilateral temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Specifically, participants in poor subjective health showed deviations in dmPFC and TPJ volume as a function of financial satisfaction. The second analysis on health status and objective social standing (i.e., household income) revealed volume deviations in regions of the limbic system for individuals feeling unhealthy. In particular, low-SES participants dissatisfied with their health showed deviations in volume distributions in the amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally. Thus, our population-level evidence speaks to the possibility that health status and socioeconomic position have characteristic imprints in social brain differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathania Suryoputri
- Department of Medical Engineering and Technomathematics, FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Jülich, Germany
| | - Hannah Kiesow
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, Québec, Canada.,McConnell Brain Imaging Centre (BIC), Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Reduced vmPFC volume mediates the association between early exposure to family material hardship and problematic mobile phone use: The moderating role of parental attachment. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02720-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Arnold NS, Noren Hooten N, Zhang Y, Lehrmann E, Wood W, Camejo Nunez W, Thorpe RJ, Evans MK, Dluzen DF. The association between poverty and gene expression within peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a diverse Baltimore City cohort. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239654. [PMID: 32970748 PMCID: PMC7514036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES), living in poverty, and other social determinants of health contribute to health disparities in the United States. African American (AA) men living below poverty in Baltimore City have a higher incidence of mortality when compared to either white males or AA females living below poverty. Previous studies in our laboratory and elsewhere suggest that environmental conditions are associated with differential gene expression (DGE) patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). DGE have also been associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and correlate with race and sex. However, no studies have investigated how poverty status associates with DGE between male and female AAs and whites living in Baltimore City. We examined DGE in 52 AA and white participants of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) cohort, who were living above or below 125% of the 2004 federal poverty line at time of sample collection. We performed a microarray to assess DGE patterns in PBMCs from these participants. AA males and females living in poverty had the most genes differentially-expressed compared with above poverty controls. Gene ontology (GO) analysis identified unique and overlapping pathways related to the endosome, single-stranded RNA binding, long-chain fatty-acyl-CoA biosynthesis, toll-like receptor signaling, and others within AA males and females living in poverty and compared with their above poverty controls. We performed RT-qPCR to validate top differentially-expressed genes in AA males. We found that KLF6, DUSP2, RBM34, and CD19 are expressed at significantly lower levels in AA males in poverty and KCTD12 is higher compared to above poverty controls. This study serves as an additional link to better understand the gene expression response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in those living in poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole S. Arnold
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Nicole Noren Hooten
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Yongqing Zhang
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Elin Lehrmann
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - William Wood
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Wendy Camejo Nunez
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Roland J. Thorpe
- Program for Research on Men’s Health, Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Michele K. Evans
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Douglas F. Dluzen
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Smoking mediates the relationship between SES and brain volume: The CARDIA study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239548. [PMID: 32956388 PMCID: PMC7505457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Investigate whether socioeconomic status (SES) was related to brain volume in aging related regions, and if so, determine whether this relationship was mediated by lifestyle factors that are known to associate with risk of dementia in a population-based sample of community dwelling middle-aged adults. METHODS We studied 645 (41% black) participants (mean age 55.3±3.5) from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. SES was operationalized as a composite measure of annual income and years of education. Gray matter volume was estimated within the insular cortex, thalamus, cingulate, frontal, inferior parietal, and lateral temporal cortex. These regions are vulnerable to age-related atrophy captured by the Spatial Pattern of Atrophy for Recognition of Brain Aging (SPARE-BA) index. Lifestyle factors of interest included physical activity, cognitive activity (e.g. book/newspaper reading), smoking status, alcohol consumption, and diet. Multivariable linear regressions tested the association between SES and brain volume. Sobel mediation analyses determined if this association was mediated by lifestyle factors. All models were age, sex, and race adjusted. RESULTS Higher SES was positively associated with brain volume (β = .109 SE = .039; p < .01) and smoking status significantly mediated this relationship (z = 2.57). With respect to brain volume, smoking accounted for 27% of the variance (β = -.179 SE = .065; p < .01) that was previously attributed to SES. CONCLUSION Targeting smoking cessation could be an efficacious means to reduce the health disparity of low SES on brain volume and may decrease vulnerability for dementia.
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Luby JL, Tillman R, Barch DM. Association of Timing of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Caregiver Support With Regionally Specific Brain Development in Adolescents. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1911426. [PMID: 31532514 PMCID: PMC6751767 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.11426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Few data are available to inform the associations and timing of the associations between adversity, caregiver support, and brain outcomes. Consideration of timing has important public health implications to inform more precise prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the timing and regional specificity of the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and caregiver support to structural development of limbic and striatal brain regions in middle childhood and adolescence. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This 15-year developmental, neuroimaging cohort study included 211 children and their caregivers screened from day care centers and preschools in the St Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area during the preschool period, with an additional 4 waves of neuroimaging at school age through adolescence from November 14, 2007, to August 29, 2017. The cohort was oversampled for preschoolers with elevated symptoms of depression using a brief screener. Data analysis was performed from March 19, 2019, to July 26, 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Volumes in adolescence and developmental trajectories of volumes of the amygdala, hippocampus, caudate, subgenual cingulate, and insula during 4 waves of scanning; ACEs and observed caregiver support at preschool and school age; and volumes of amygdala, hippocampus, insula, and subgenual cingulate during 4 waves of scanning. RESULTS A total of 211 children (107 [50.7%] male) completed at least 1 scan. At preschool (mean [SD] age, 5.5 [0.8] years), ACE data were available for 164 children (84 [51.2%] male) and maternal support data for 155 children; at school age (mean [SD], 8.3 [1.2] years), ACE data were available for 172 children and maternal support data for 146 children. Unique patterns of the association between ACEs and support were found, with an association between the interaction of preschool ACEs and school-age support and the development of the hippocampus (t = -2.27; P = .02) and amygdala (t = -2.12; P = .04). A buffering hypothesis was not confirmed because high caregiver support was more strongly associated with the development of these regions only in the context of low ACEs. In contrast, preschool ACEs (t = -2.30; P = .02) and support (t = 2.59; P = .01) had independent associations with the development of the caudate. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings suggest that there are unique regional associations of support and adversity with key brain structures important for emotional regulation. Results may inform the timing and potential targets of preventive action for the range of poor developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan L. Luby
- Department of Psychiatry (Child), School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
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9
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Shaked D, Leibel DK, Katzel LI, Davatzikos C, Gullapalli RP, Seliger SL, Erus G, Evans MK, Zonderman AB, Waldstein SR. Disparities in Diffuse Cortical White Matter Integrity Between Socioeconomic Groups. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:198. [PMID: 31244633 PMCID: PMC6581723 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing literature demonstrating a link between lower socioeconomic status (SES) and poorer neuroanatomical health, such as smaller total and regional gray and white matter volumes, as well as greater white matter lesion volumes. Little is known, however, about the relation between SES and white matter integrity. Here we examined the relation between SES and white matter integrity of the brain’s primary cortical regions, and evaluated potential moderating influences of age and self-identified race. Participants were 192 neurologically intact, community-dwelling African American and White adults (mean age = 52 years; 44% male, 60% White, low SES = 52%) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study. Participants underwent 3.0-T cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to estimate regional fractional anisotropy (FA) to quantify the brain’s white matter integrity and trace to capture diffusivity. Multiple regression analyses examined independent and interactive associations of SES, age, and race with FA of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes bilaterally. Sensitivity analyses assessed the influence of several biopsychosocial risk factors on these associations. Exploratory analyses examined these relations with trace and using additional SES indicators. Results indicated there were no significant interactions of SES, age, and race for any region. Individuals with low SES had lower FA in all regions, and higher trace in the right and left frontal, right and left temporal, and left occipital lobes. Findings remained largely unchanged after inclusion of sensitivity variables. Older age was associated with lower FA and greater trace for all regions, except for the right temporal lobe with FA. No main effects were found for race in FA, and Whites had higher trace values in the parietal lobes. Novel findings of this study indicate that relative to the high SES group, low SES was associated with poorer white matter integrity and greater diffusivity. These results may, in part, reflect exposures to various biopsychosocial risk factors experienced by those of lower SES across the lifespan, and may help explain the preponderance of cognitive and functional disparities between socioeconomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Shaked
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Daniel K Leibel
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Leslie I Katzel
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- Biomedical Image Analysis, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rao P Gullapalli
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Stephen L Seliger
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Guray Erus
- Biomedical Image Analysis, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michele K Evans
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alan B Zonderman
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shari R Waldstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
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