Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in Black and/or African American Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants

Majority of dementia research is conducted in non-Hispanic White participants despite a greater prevalence of dementia in other racial groups. To obtain a better understanding of biomarker presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the non-Hispanic White population, this study exclusively examined AD bio-marker abnormalities in 85 Black and/or African American participants within the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Participants were classified by the ADNI into 3 clinical groups: cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia. Data examined included demographics, apolipoprotein E (APOE) & epsilon;4, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) A & beta;1-42, CSF total tau (t-tau), CSF phosphorylated tau (p-tau), 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and measures of cognition and function. Analyses of variance and covariance showed lower cortical thickness in 5 of 7 selected MRI regions, lower hippocampal volume, greater volume of white matter hyperintensities, lower measures of cognition and function, lower measures of CSF A & beta;1-42, and greater measures of CSF t-tau and p-tau between clinical groups. Our findings confirmed greater AD biomarker abnormalities between clinical groups in this sample.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Despite a higher prevalence of dementia in non-White racial groups, most dementia research focuses on non-Hispanic Whites. This study examined AD biomarker abnormalities exclusively in Black and/or African American participants, finding significant differences in biomarker presentation between clinical groups.