Clinical, cognitive and neuropathological characteristics of the NACC Latino
Cohort: Evidence for differential risk factors and implications for diagnosis. 
   Lead Investigator:    Katya Rascovsky
   Institution      :    University of Pennsylvania
   E-Mail           :    katyaras@mail.med.upenn.edu
   Proposal ID      :    779


   Publications:


1  Rascovsky K,  Teylan MA , McMillan CT,  Barlow N , Gonzalez HM, Salmon DP, Galasko DR,  Besser LM, Kukull WA , Grossman M
   Risk factors for clinical AD in US Latino populations: an analysis of the NACC database
   Abstract  AAIC 2018,7:P1340,2018,

   PUBLISHED



2  Rascovsky k,  Teylan ME,  McMillan CT,  Besser L, Kukull W,  Grossman M
   Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Latino patients with Alzheimer's disease: an analysis of the NACC database
   Abstract  Neurology,88:P4.084,2017,

   PUBLISHED





   Proposal Description:
   Latinos are the fastest growing population group in the United States, yet this population is rarely evaluated in studies of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). In this study, we will perform comparative analyses to identify the shared and disparate clinical, cognitive and neuropathological features of Latino and Non-Latino White (NLW) individuals.  We anticipate that this research will identify key disparities and risk factors for dementia that will facilitate the design of prospective AD research and clinical trials in the Latino population.    Aim 1: Identify the Influence of Acculturation on Cognitive  Clinical Function in Latino MCI and AD patients  Acculturation refers to an individual?s adaptation to traits from another culture, such as Latino subjects adapting to an English-language environment.  We will evaluate cognitive and clinical performance in Non-Latino White (NLW) individuals relative to Latino subjects with varying levels of presumed acculturation, including 1) Latinos reporting Spanish as their primary language tested in Spanish (Low Acculturation LA), 2) Latinos reporting Spanish as their primary language tested in English (Mid Acculturation MA) and 3) Latinos reporting English as their primary language tested in English (Hi Acculturation HA).  After controlling for demographic differences, we hypothesize that lower levels of acculturation will be related to lower cognitive performance, lower functional status, and higher levels of psychiatric symptoms.    Aim 2: Define Culturally Appropriate Norms for Disparate Latino Populations.  Disparities between Latinos and Non-Latinos may be attenuated or exaggerated due to use of inappropriate normative data (e.g., English-speaking norms for individuals who are Spanish-speaking). We will generate acculturation-specific norms for Lo-High Acculturation groups.  We hypothesize that a) reported disparities in Latino and NLW patient groups will be significantly attenuated by the use of