Biomarkers.

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is a risk factor for dementia that is prevalent in older adults. Altered brain connectivity is present in individuals with HL, individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In individuals with HL, altered brain connectivity has been associated with impaired scores on cognitive tests.

Public Health.

Background: Alcohol use is hypothesized to be a risk factor for cognitive impairment (CI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, its role is often complex in diagnosing and distinguishing alcoholic dementia from AD. Hence, several AD-focused studies exclude participants with possible alcohol misuse history, creating major challenges to investigate this connection.

Public Health.

Background: Previous research suggests that perceived discrimination is associated with cognitive function impairment, and such association is mediated by depression. With minority populations continuously growing, it is crucial to investigate such relationships in diverse populations. This study aims to examine and compare the above relationships among non-Hispanic white (NHW), Mexican American (MA), and African American (AA) participants.

Biomarkers.

Background: The ɛ4 allele and promoter region variant, rs405509, of APOE are risk factors for late onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) (Raulin et al., 2022, Logue et al., 2023).

Developing Topics.

Background: APOE is highly pleiotropic, with the e4 allele the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) and associated with other cardiometabolic traits. The APOE*e4 allele demonstrates ancestry-specific differences in the risk for AD. Here, we investigated whether similar ancestry-specific effects are observed across other AD endophenotypes and modifiable risk factors for AD.