The Health Equity Scholars Program: Fostering Culturally Competent and Successful Independent Investigators in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research.

Introduction: The Health Equity Scholars Program (HESP) addresses the critical need for a diverse, culturally competent workforce to study and treat older adults from underrepresented populations (URPs) with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). The HESP offers tailored mentored training in AD/ADRD research concepts, aiming to develop successful independent researchers. It recruits Scholars from underrepresented backgrounds as well as those passionate about AD/ADRD health equity research.

Perceived Stress and Health Outcomes Among Latinx and Non-Latinx White Adult People With HIV in East Harlem, New York: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Stress and HIV disproportionately affect Latinx adults in the United States, contributing to numerous health inequities. Among people living with HIV (PLWH), increased stress is associated with decreased medication adherence, effectiveness, and higher rates of immunosuppression and comorbidities. Our study ( N = 126) examined the relationship between perceived stress and HIV-related health among Latinx ( n = 83) and non-Latinx White ( n = 43) PLWH.

The ADNI4 Digital Study: A novel approach to recruitment, screening, and assessment of participants for AD clinical research.

Introduction: We evaluated preliminary feasibility of a digital, culturally-informed approach to recruit and screen participants for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI4).

Methods: Participants were recruited using digital advertising and completed digital surveys (e.g.

Participant completion of longitudinal assessments in an online cognitive aging registry: The role of medical conditions.

Introduction: This study aimed to understand whether older adults' longitudinal completion of assessments in an online Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD)-related registry is influenced by self-reported medical conditions.

Methods: Brain Health Registry (BHR) is an online cognitive aging and ADRD-related research registry that includes longitudinal health and cognitive assessments. Using logistic regressions, we examined associations between longitudinal registry completion outcomes and self-reported (1) number of medical conditions and (2) eight defined medical condition groups (cardiovascular, metabolic, immune system, ADRD, current psychiatric, substance use/abuse, acquired, other specified conditions) in adults aged 55+ ( 23,888).

Rates of Undiagnosed Cognitive Impairment and Performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Among Older Adults in Primary Care.

Background: The number of adults in the USA with cognitive impairment is increasing; however, few studies report prevalence rates of undiagnosed cognitive impairment among older adults in primary care.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed cognitive impairment among adults ages 55 years and older in primary care settings and provide normative data for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in this context.

Design: Single interview, observational study.

Improving generalizability and study design of Alzheimer's disease cohort studies in the United States by including under-represented populations.

The poor generalizability of clinical research data due to the enrollment of highly educated, non-Latinx White participants hampers the development of therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Black and Latinx older adults have a greater risk for dementia, yet it is unclear how health-care disparities and sociocultural factors influence potential AD therapies and prognosis. Low enrollment of under-represented populations may be attributable to several factors including greater exclusion due to higher rates of comorbidities, lower access to AD clinics, and the legacy of unethical treatment in medical research.

Screening and enrollment of underrepresented ethnocultural and educational populations in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

Introduction: An analysis of the ethnocultural and socioeconomic composition of Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants is needed to assess the generalizability of ADNI data to diverse populations.

Methods: ADNI data collected between October 2004 and November 2020 were used to determine ethnocultural and educational composition of the sample and differences in the following metrics: screening, screen fails, enrollment, biomarkers.

Results: Of 3739 screened individuals, 11% identified as being from ethnoculturally underrepresented populations (e.

Assessing Cognitive Decline in High-Functioning Spanish-Speaking Patients: High Score Base Rates on the Spanish-Language NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery.

Objective: Prior research has focused on the normal frequency of obtaining low scores on a neuropsychological test battery, but few studies have examined the normal frequency of obtaining high scores. This study involved the preparation of high score multivariate base rates for the Spanish-language National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB).

Method: Participants included 250 healthy Latinx adults (age range: 19-80) from the Spanish-language NIHTB-CB normative sample who completed the full battery (two crystallized and four fluid cognition tests).

Underrepresentation of diverse populations and clinical characterization in opioid agonist treatment research: A systematic review of the neurocognitive effects of buprenorphine and methadone treatment.

Introduction: The relative neurocognitive effects of the two most common opioid agonist treatments (OAT; buprenorphine and methadone) for opioid use disorder (OUD) are poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review is to examine the neurocognitive effects of OAT (buprenorphine and methadone) and the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of study samples.

Methods: The research team queried PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane Reviews for articles (01/1980-01/2020) with terms related to neurocognitive testing in adults (age ≥ 18) prescribed OAT.

A Multivariate Interpretation of the Spanish-Language NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery: The Normal Frequency of Low Scores.

Objective: The current study involved the preparation of multivariate base rates for the Spanish-language NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) based on the U.S. normative sample, quantifying the normal frequency of low scores among healthy adults.

The Longitudinal Effects of Blood Pressure and Hypertension on Neurocognitive Performance in People Living With HIV.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) and HIV are salient risk factors for cerebral small vessel disease and neurocognitive (NC) impairment, yet the effects of HTN on NC performance in persons living with HIV remain poorly understood. This is the first study to examine the longitudinal associations between blood pressure (BP), HTN, and pulse pressure (PP) with NC performance in persons living with HIV.

Setting: New York City.

Demographically adjusted norms for the Trail Making Test in native Spanish speakers: Results from the neuropsychological norms for the US-Mexico border region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) project.

Objective: Despite the wide use of the Trail Making Test (TMT), there is a lack of normative data for Spanish speakers living in the USA. Here we describe the development of regional norms for the TMT for native Spanish speakers residing in the Southwest Mexico-Border Region of the USA.

Method: Participants were 252 healthy native Spanish speakers, 58% women, from ages 19 to 60, and ranging in education from 0 to 20 years, recruited in San Diego, CA and Tucson, AZ.

The neurocognitive effects of a past cannabis use disorder in a diverse sample of people living with HIV.

People living with HIV (PLWH) report higher rates of cannabis use than the general population, a trend likely to continue in light of recent policy changes and the reported therapeutic benefits of cannabis for PLWH. Therefore, it is important to better understand cannabis-associated effects on neurocognition, especially as PLWH are at heightened risk for neurocognitive impairment. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of a past cannabis use disorder on current neurocognition in a diverse sample of PLWH.

Enhancing the Ethical Conduct of HIV Research with Migrant Sex Workers: Human Rights, Policy, and Social Contextual Influences.

Background: Migrant sex workers are often highly marginalized and disproportionately experience health and social inequities, including high prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and human rights violations. In recent years, research involving migrant sex workers has increased, yet many knowledge gaps remain regarding how best to protect research participant rights and welfare. Our objective was to identify key challenges and opportunities related to the responsible conduct of HIV research with migrant sex workers.

[Formula: see text]The Relative Utility of Three English Language Dominance Measures in Predicting the Neuropsychological Performance of HIV+ Bilingual Latino/a Adults.

Objective: Given the disproportionate impact of neurologic disorders such as HIV on racial/ethnic minorities, neuropsychologists are increasingly evaluating individuals of diverse linguistic backgrounds. This study compares the utility of two brief and one comprehensive language measure to account for variation in English neuropsychological performance within a bilingual population.

Method: Sixty-two HIV+ English/Spanish bilingual Latino adults completed three language measures in English and Spanish: Self-Reported Language Ability; Verbal Fluency (FAS/PMR); and the Woodcock Munoz Language Survey-Revised (WMLS-R).

Structural and Interpersonal Benefits and Risks of Participation in HIV Research: Perspectives of Female Sex Workers in Guatemala.

This study explored perceived benefits and risks of participation in HIV research among 33 female sex workers in Tecun Uman, Guatemala. Stigma associated with sex work and HIV was a critical barrier to research participation. Key benefits of participation included access to HIV/STI prevention and testing, as well as positive and trusting relationships between sex workers and research teams.

Aging and HIV/AIDS: neurocognitive implications for older HIV-positive Latina/o adults.

In recent years, HIV/AIDS populations have become older and increasingly more ethnically diverse. Concurrently, the prevalence of HIV-related neurocognitive (NC) impairment remains high. This study examined the effects of age and ethnicity on NC function in HIV-positive adults.

The role of decision-making ability in HIV/AIDS: impact on prospective memory.

Background: Prospective memory (ProM), a form of episodic memory related to execution of future intentions, is important for everyday functioning. Among persons living with HIV (PLWH), executive dysfunction is implicated in ProM impairments. However, specific subcomponents of executive functioning involved in ProM deficits remain poorly understood.

Verbal learning deficits in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

Verbal learning and memory deficits are frequently reported in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but may be a product of its psychiatric comorbidities, especially major depressive disorder (MDD). To evaluate this hypothesis, 25 medication-free patients with PTSD and comorbid MDD were compared to 148 medication-free patients with equally severe MDD alone and to 96 nonpatients on a measure of verbal learning and memory. Additional measures of attention, working memory, and executive function were administered to evaluate their contribution to verbal memory impairment.

Isolating cognitive and neurologic HIV effects in substance-dependent, confounded cohorts: a pilot study.

Controversy exists as to whether effects of HIV infection can be detected in the cognitive profiles of substance users, with methodological differences in degree of control for confounding factors a major contributor to empirical discrepancies. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a small but well-controlled study aimed at isolating HIV neurocognitive (NC) effects in a group of chronic substance users. Thirty HIV-negative substance users were individually matched to 30 HIV-positive substance users on relevant medical and demographic factors, including reading level and methadone therapy status.

Effects of stereotype threat, perceived discrimination, and examiner race on neuropsychological performance: simple as black and white?

The purpose of the current study was to examine the predictive roles of stereotype threat and perceived discrimination and the mediating role of examiner-examinee racial discordance on neuropsychological performance in a non-clinical sample of African American and Caucasian individuals. Ninety-two African American (n = 45) and Caucasian (n = 47) adults were randomly assigned to either a stereotype threat or non-threat condition. Within each condition, participants were randomly assigned to either a same race or different race examiner.