R01AG083894

Longitudinal MRI measures of cerebrovascular injury and AD atrophy in a study of Latinos (SOL-INCA-MRI LONG) - Project summary/abstract

Latinos constitute a heterogeneous population which accounted for slightly more than 50% of the United States (US) population growth for 2010 to 2020.

Latinos are also becoming a larger proportion of older individuals in the US.

Despite this, biomarker studies of normal aging and cognitive impairment remain limited, and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) constitutes the only known representative sample.

Moreover, epidemiological data indicate that Latinos have a higher prevalence of vascular risk factors, lower cardiovascular health metrics, and a greater likelihood of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to non-Alzheimer’s disease processes that differ by heritage.

Consequently, diagnosis and treatment of Latino persons with cognitive impairment may be more challenging, but more amenable to prevention through reduction of vascular risk factors than non-Hispanic white persons where vascular risk and disease is less prevalent.

The first cycle of “MRI measures of cerebrovascular injury and Alzheimer’s disease atrophy in a study of Latinos (RF1 AG054548; aka SOL-INCA-MRI)” was designed to identify biological underpinnings of normal cognitive aging, MCI and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in a representative subgroup of the HCHS/SOL 62 + 9 years of age on average.

Despite restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic, our investigators successfully obtained brain MRI from 2668 individuals or >95% of the proposed study cohort.

From these data we have published on 1) differences in brain structure from ages 35-85; 2) the impact of vascular risk and sleep on brain structure; 3) the association of cognition with subsequent MRI measures; and 4) genetic influences on select brain measures.

These early results, while of scientific value, are cross-sectional and do not reflect ongoing degeneration or incident vascular injury, limiting inferential power that might extend scientific knowledge of brain aging and ADRD in this unique cohort.

For this application, we propose to extend our work to include longitudinal MRI analysis, leveraging longitudinal biomarker and clinical data from 3 visits, spanning approximately 12 years of HCHS/SOL and its cognitive ancillary study (SOL-INCA-AD; R01 AG075758, Gonzalez, DeCarli Co-PIs) on a deeply characterized and diverse Hispanic/Latino cohort.

Adding longitudinal image analysis in combination with longitudinal lifestyle, medical risk factors, plasma ATN biomarkers, genetics and cognitive assessment in this Latino cohort will address multiple ADRD research milestones and priorities while enabling stronger statistical inference of risk and resilience factors amongst representative, yet relatively young-old members of diverse Latino communities.

Creating the opportunity to identify modifiable risk factors, potentially reducing societal burden due to later-life ADRD in this rapidly growing portion of the older US population.

Davis University Of California

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Davis, California 95616 United States

Single Zip Code

Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-22-093)