Protective Factors Associated with Cognitive Resilience in African American
Adults 
   Lead Investigator:    Antoine Trammell
   Institution      :    Emory University
   E-Mail           :    antoine.trammell@emory.edu
   Proposal ID      :    1608



   Proposal Description:
   This proposed project will leverage data from the National Alzheimer???s Coordinating Center (NACC) to identify This proposed project will leverage data   from the National Alzheimer???s Coordinating Center (NACC) to identify            protective factors for successful cognitive aging in African Americans 80 years   and older. We aim to identify protective factors for cognitive resilience in      African American adults with normal cognition.  Hypothesized protective factors include higher educational achievement, low frequency of vascular comorbidities   and associated indicators of poor health status, fewer psychiatric conditions     and substance abuse disorders, and the absence of parental history of             Alzheimer???s disease and APOE-??4. This project represents an early step in      identifying cognitive resilience factors in African Americans for whom            protective factors for successful aging have not been rigorously explored.        Given the higher Alzheimer???s disease risk in the African American population and the absence of effective treatments, exploring factors linked to cognitive    resilience is important. Identification of factors related to resilience thus     offers promise for the design of early-stage interventions and preventive         strategies.