INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #106 Early-life adversity predicts worse cognitive outcomes in late life among older Latinos in the San Francisco Bay Area Caitlin Wei-Ming Watson, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Valentina Diaz, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Karen Dorsman, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States Jorge Puac, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Luis Martinez, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Anne-Marie Rodriguez, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Oscar Robles-Archila, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Gloria Aguirre, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Charles Windon, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Miwa Tucker, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Rowan Saloner, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Emily Paolillo, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Leslie Gaynor, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Stefanie Piña-Escudero, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Joel Kramer, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Serggio Lanata, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience Keyword 1: executive functions Keyword 2: diversity Keyword 3: chronic stress Objective: Latinos are the largest ethnic group in California, making up 40% of the most populous state in the U.S. Risk and resilience for late-life cognitive disorders are understudied in this group. Emerging data suggest early-life experiences of threat (i.e., abuse, violence) versus deprivation (i.e., unmet basic needs, neglect) have differential impacts on brain health, such that threat exposure contributes to emotional health challenges, while deprivation contributes to executive difficulties. These relationships have yet to be examined in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. The present study sought to characterize adverse experiences in early life and examine relationships to cognition and mental health in late life among older Latinos living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants and Methods: 40 Spanish-speaking older adults [mean age=67 (range=44-85) 65% cisgender women, mean education=13 years (range=3–22)] were enrolled in UC San Francisco’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (region of origin=32% Mexico, 32% Central America, 35% South America). 67% were cognitively unimpaired, 18% had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15% had dementia. Participants completed neuropsychological testing, the geriatric depression scale (GDS), and a survey assessing experiences of threat and deprivation from ages 0–24 (threat composite domains: abuse, discrimination, structural violence, family conflict; deprivation composite domains: unmet basic needs (food, healthcare), limited educational access, physical neglect). First, we compared the prevalence of threat and deprivation experiences across cognitively unimpaired and cognitively impaired groups. Next, multivariable regression models examined the effects of threat and deprivation on executive function, memory, and depression symptoms, controlling for age. Results: 82.5% of older Latinos reported at least one experience of early-life threat (mean=4.0, range=0-12) and 63.2% reported at least one experience of deprivation (mean=1.9, range=0-8). Compared to the cognitively unimpaired group, the MCI group had higher prevalence of early-life abuse (threat; F(1,31)=4.58, p=0.04) and limited educational access (deprivation; F(1,31)=7.23, p=0.01). Deprivation was associated with worse executive functioning (ß=-0.29, p=0.03) and worse verbal and visual memory at trend-level (verbal: ß=-0.41, p=0.10; visual: ß=-0.46, p=0.05) while threat was not (ps>0.27). Neither threat nor deprivation experiences were associated with depression symptoms (ps>0.53). Conclusions: Adverse experiences of threat and deprivation in early life were highly prevalent in this diverse cohort and had distinct impacts on cognitive health. Higher rates of early-life abuse and limited educational access in the MCI group suggest that these two dimensions of adversity may increase risk for cognitive challenges in late-life. Consistent with prior literature, deprivation but not threat exposure was associated with executive dysfunction. The link between early life deprivation and worse memory function should be investigated in a larger cohort for its relevance to increased dementia risk. Finally, results suggest that factors other than early-life threat exposure (e.g., current stressful experiences) may contribute more strongly to depression presentation. Findings highlight the urgent need for universal initiatives to support the basic needs of young people (food, healthcare, education, caretaking) to reduce the long-lasting harms of early-life deprivation on adult health. Such initiatives paired with culturally-informed mental health services to address trauma are critical to reducing health disparities for older Latinos in the U.S.

Poster

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #106

Early-life adversity predicts worse cognitive outcomes in late life among older Latinos in the San Francisco Bay Area

Caitlin Wei-Ming Watson, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Valentina Diaz, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Karen Dorsman, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
Jorge Puac, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Tanisha Hill-Jarrett, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Luis Martinez, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Anne-Marie Rodriguez, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Oscar Robles-Archila, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Gloria Aguirre, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Charles Windon, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Miwa Tucker, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Rowan Saloner, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Emily Paolillo, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Leslie Gaynor, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Stefanie Piña-Escudero, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Joel Kramer, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
Serggio Lanata, UC San Francisco, San Francisco, United States

Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience

Keyword 1: executive functions
Keyword 2: diversity
Keyword 3: chronic stress

Objective:

Latinos are the largest ethnic group in California, making up 40% of the most populous state in the U.S. Risk and resilience for late-life cognitive disorders are understudied in this group. Emerging data suggest early-life experiences of threat (i.e., abuse, violence) versus deprivation (i.e., unmet basic needs, neglect) have differential impacts on brain health, such that threat exposure contributes to emotional health challenges, while deprivation contributes to executive difficulties. These relationships have yet to be examined in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. The present study sought to characterize adverse experiences in early life and examine relationships to cognition and mental health in late life among older Latinos living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Participants and Methods:

40 Spanish-speaking older adults [mean age=67 (range=44-85) 65% cisgender women, mean education=13 years (range=3–22)] were enrolled in UC San Francisco’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (region of origin=32% Mexico, 32% Central America, 35% South America). 67% were cognitively unimpaired, 18% had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15% had dementia. Participants completed neuropsychological testing, the geriatric depression scale (GDS), and a survey assessing experiences of threat and deprivation from ages 0–24 (threat composite domains: abuse, discrimination, structural violence, family conflict; deprivation composite domains: unmet basic needs (food, healthcare), limited educational access, physical neglect). First, we compared the prevalence of threat and deprivation experiences across cognitively unimpaired and cognitively impaired groups. Next, multivariable regression models examined the effects of threat and deprivation on executive function, memory, and depression symptoms, controlling for age.

Results:

82.5% of older Latinos reported at least one experience of early-life threat (mean=4.0, range=0-12) and 63.2% reported at least one experience of deprivation (mean=1.9, range=0-8). Compared to the cognitively unimpaired group, the MCI group had higher prevalence of early-life abuse (threat; F(1,31)=4.58, p=0.04) and limited educational access (deprivation; F(1,31)=7.23, p=0.01). Deprivation was associated with worse executive functioning (ß=-0.29, p=0.03) and worse verbal and visual memory at trend-level (verbal: ß=-0.41, p=0.10; visual: ß=-0.46, p=0.05) while threat was not (ps>0.27). Neither threat nor deprivation experiences were associated with depression symptoms (ps>0.53).

Conclusions:

Adverse experiences of threat and deprivation in early life were highly prevalent in this diverse cohort and had distinct impacts on cognitive health. Higher rates of early-life abuse and limited educational access in the MCI group suggest that these two dimensions of adversity may increase risk for cognitive challenges in late-life. Consistent with prior literature, deprivation but not threat exposure was associated with executive dysfunction. The link between early life deprivation and worse memory function should be investigated in a larger cohort for its relevance to increased dementia risk. Finally, results suggest that factors other than early-life threat exposure (e.g., current stressful experiences) may contribute more strongly to depression presentation. Findings highlight the urgent need for universal initiatives to support the basic needs of young people (food, healthcare, education, caretaking) to reduce the long-lasting harms of early-life deprivation on adult health. Such initiatives paired with culturally-informed mental health services to address trauma are critical to reducing health disparities for older Latinos in the U.S.