Although there is strong evidence that dementia and Alzheimer's disease occur in Black adults at a rate up to two times that of Caucasians, there is limited data about the biology or progression of the disease in this population.
This is a problem that David Wolk, MD, Professor of Neurology and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center is tackling through the Aging Brain Cohort Dedicated to Diversity study (ABCD²).
ABCD²: Improving Diversity in Alzheimer's Disease Research and Clinical Trials
"We received $3.5 million from Pennsylvania's Department of Health's Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement (CURE) program for a multi-faceted study to gather better data about how Alzheimer's disease progresses during normal aging in Black individuals," explains Dr. Wolk. "All major studies to date have focused primarily on college- or graduate school-educated Caucasians."
The four-year study will use biomarkers and imaging studies to identify Alzheimer's disease in its preclinical stages in Black participants. This will allow researchers to better understand their risk of Alzheimer's and compare these data to largely Caucasian cohorts, including that of the Aging Brain Cohort followed in the Penn Memory Center. The study also aims to measure genetic risk factors and develop better ways to measure cognition using an app.
"We will use MRI and PET to detect certain pathologies in older Black adults and measure their cognitive change over time," explains Dr. Wolk. "We'll also measure vascular risks to determine the degree to which they are drivers of Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive decline."
The ABCD² study also allows for the training of underrepresented minorities in aging and Alzheimer's research by providing curriculum for several students to work on the project. According to Dr. Wolk, increasing diversity in those who do this research will likely lead to greater diversity in those who volunteer for studies and the ideas and understanding of the drivers of cognitive decline.
An understanding for participant's social determinants of health is key to the study's success. Dr. Wolk and his team are pairing with local fraternities and sororities and work with communities in West Philadelphia to determine relevant measures and scales, including factors such as socioeconomic status, education levels, zip codes and perceived racism.
David Wolk, MD, is a board certified neurologist practicing at Penn Neuroscience Center in the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. Dr. Wolk is the incoming director of Penn's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center. He is also a professor of Neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.