Why Alzheimer’s and related dementia risk is higher among Black older adults
Mechanisms of ADRD risk disparities in the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project
This work looks at how neighborhood conditions, stress, mood, diet, and brain changes relate to thinking and dementia risk in older Black and White adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11298988 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of about 700 adults (half Black) who are followed over time with repeated memory and thinking tests. The team will add a third visit, collect brain MRI scans, and link your home address to current and historical neighborhood data to see how local environments shaped by time affect brain health. They will examine social, psychological, behavioral, and environmental factors — such as stress, depressive symptoms, diet, and public infrastructure — that may help explain racial differences in dementia rates. The goal is to identify changeable targets that could lower Alzheimer’s risk in communities with higher rates.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 or older, especially older Black and White adults who are willing to do cognitive testing, questionnaires, and MRI scans, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot attend clinic visits or MRI, live far from the study site, or whose dementia risk is driven only by unchangeable factors may not get direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could point to neighborhood, social, or behavioral changes that lower dementia risk for people in communities experiencing higher rates.
How similar studies have performed: Other longitudinal cohorts have linked neighborhood disadvantage and stress to worse cognition, but combining MRI, historical census records, and a racially balanced sample is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zahodne, Laura B — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Zahodne, Laura B
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.