Abstract
Life-Course Neighborhood Change and Alzheimer's Disease: Biosocial Pathways of Risk and Resilience
Alexandra Clark, , Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin
This project examines the impact of 20 years of neighborhood change on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk in a large, racially and ethnically diverse sample of older adults residing in Austin, TX. We will leverage Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) data to characterize historical, current, and long-term changes in neighborhood resources and composition that have not yet been integrated into existing AD research studies. These measures will then be linked with comprehensive cognitive assessments, plasma-based biomarkers of AD, and neuroimaging outcomes. This project is expected to elucidate biosocial pathways through which environmental exposures contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, and will help inform multi-level prevention and intervention initiatives that reduce dementia risk.