Psychosocial Mechanisms of Dementia Inequalities

Abstract: In the United States, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is higher among certain racial and ethnic minority groups, even after controlling for socioeconomic status and vascular disease. Persistent and unexplained disparities suggest: (1) known AD risk factors exhibit differential impact across race/ethnicity and/or (2) novel risk factors for AD exist for racial and ethnic minorities. I will present data from multiple longitudinal studies of cognitive aging that support each of these possibilities.