Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease among Diverse Populations
Summary Abstract:
There have been tremendous advancements in the development and clinical implementation of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. These include brain scans (e.g., MRI, PET) as well as blood biomarkers (e.g., ptau181, amyloid, NFL). However, to date, the vast majority of the data on these novel biomarkers are from non-Hispanic white populations. Additionally, few research studies have examined the impact of medical comorbidities on these biomarkers. The current talk will cover an overview of many of the clinically available biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. The talk will also cover recent data from the Health & Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS-HD) regarding these biomarkers across diverse populations.
Number of Credit Hours: 1.5
Level of Instruction: Advanced
Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss recent developments in biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease
2. Describe the importance of understanding race and ethnicity when interpreting these novel biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease
3. Describe recent literature on the impact of race/ethnicity on advance biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease
Presenter(s):
Sid O'Bryant, PhD
University of North Texas Health Science Center
As the population of those aged 65 and over continues to grow, so does the diversity of the U.S. population. In fact, by 2060 approximately 27.5% of the population will be Hispanic, 15% will be African American, and 44.3% will be non-Hispanic white. Dr. Sid O'Bryant is the principal investigator of the Health & Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS-HD), which is the most comprehensive study of Alzheimer’s disease among the three largest racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. ever conducted – African Americans, Hispanics, non-Hispanic whites. The goal of the HABS-HD program is to understand the life course factors, including biological, sociocultural, environmental, and behavioral, that impact risk for Alzheimer’s disease in late life. This work will ultimately lead to population-specific precision medicine approaches to treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease (i.e., “treating your Alzheimer’s disease”). In addition to being a global leader in health disparities in cognitive aging, Dr. O’Bryant is a global expert in the use of blood-based biomarkers for the generation of a precision medicine approach to novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer’s disease among adults with Down Syndrome.
