Black Americans are nearly twice as likely as white Americans to develop dementia as they age, and it might be tied to higher levels of stress and hardship, according to new research from the University Of Georgia.
In a study of 694 aging Black Americans, researchers found that struggles with extreme depression, loneliness, and decline of an important neurotransmitter are important factors in cortical aging, which is defined as the difference between an individual's actual brain age and their chronological age.
Primary investigator of the study and Regent's Professor in Franklin College's Department of Sociology, Ron Simons, has dedicated over 25 years of his career to studying this group of Black Americans as they age. Most research done on Alzheimer's has been done on white people, he says, but the racial discrimination and economic hardship that many Black Americans face can ramp up exposure to adversity and influence rates of cognitive decline across their aging population.
Over the next few years, Simons and his team hope to identify additional factors that explain Black America's elevated risk for dementia.
