2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)
Biopsychosocial Predictors of Cognitive Resilience in African Americans
What factors affect the risk of Alzheimer’s in Black/African American older individuals?
Soohyun Park, Ph.D.
McLean Hospital
Belmont, MA - United States
Background
According to studies mentioned in the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, older Black/African American adults are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s and other dementias as older White Americans. Additionally, according to the report, it is more likely for health care providers to miss diagnoses in Blacks/African Americans, than whites. However, the factors that may impact cognitive decline in Blacks/African Americans are not yet well understood. Investigating the factors that lead to this outcome is an important public health question and contributes to the goal of emphasizing a healthy brain in diverse groups.
While genetic (DNA) variations can affect an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, environmental factors such as traumatic experiences during childhood have also been shown to increase the risk of developing cognitive impairments. Alternatively, an individual’s ability to be resilient in the face of adversity may decrease the risk of cognitive impairment. All of these factors can influence an individual’s risk of Alzheimer’s, but exactly how they interact and contribute to this risk is not well understood, especially in underrepresented groups.
Research Plan
Dr. Soohyun Park and colleagues aim to investigate the individual and combined effects of genetic variations, adverse childhood experiences, and resilience factors on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in Black/African American older individuals . The researchers will examine data collected from the health and retirement study, which includes over 1,000 Black/African American adults over the age of 50. These individuals donated saliva samples for genetic testing and gave responses to a multitude of questionnaires.
The researchers will use data collected from telephone interviews to measure the cognitive function of each individual. They will also test the individuals for genetic variations associated with Alzheimer’s using the saliva samples. The researchers will also measure early life adversity and resilience based on survey responses. Finally, they will analyze the cognitive function, genetic variant, adversity, and resilience data to determine how each factor contributes to Alzheimer’s risk, and how they interact together to affect risk.
Impact
The results of this study will reveal how multiple genetic and social factors can contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in Black/African American older adults. Further, these identified risk factors could be targeted through psychotherapy, thereby reducing the risk of cognitive issues.