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.g., Black, Latinx) and 16% had <12 years of education. Of 2286 enrolled participants, 11% identified as ethnoculturally underrepresented individuals and 15% had <12 years of education. This participation is considerably lower than US Census data for adults 60+ (ethnoculturally underrepresented populations: 25%; <12 years of education: 4%). Individuals with <12 years of education failed screening at a higher rate. Discussion Our findings suggest that ADNI results may not be entirely generalizable to ethnoculturally diverse and low education populations.

Automated summary

The analysis of ethnocultural and socioeconomic composition of ADNI participants revealed that a low percentage of individuals from underrepresented populations and those with less than 12 years of education were included in the study. Furthermore, individuals with less than 12 years of education had a higher rate of screening fails. Our findings suggest that ADNI results may not be entirely generalizable to ethnoculturally diverse and low education populations.