Health Disparities in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment among Mexican Americans  The goal of this research is to address two important health disparities faced by Mexican Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI): (1) younger age of onset and (2) decreased access to early detection and treatment. We will leverage our ongoing Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study to identify different pathways for MCI and AD among Mexican Americans, define subtle neuroanatomical and blood-based biomarker changes that are related to future risk of MCI and AD, as well as provide evidence to support the utility of our AD blood-based detection tool that can be implemented in primary care settings.

Risk and Resiliency for Dementia: Comparison of Male and Female Veterans  We will use data from the Veterans Health Administration National Patient Care Database and VA/CMS to examine risk of dementia in male and female Veterans age 18 years and older. We plan to compare the differences in risk and protective factors for dementia among older male and female Veterans, and we will examine the gender differences between mortality and nursing home placement among Veterans with dementia. The results of this study will help guide care and treatment recommendations for older Veteran patients, in addition to improving the design of future dementia prevention strategies.