UW Study Links Neighborhood Disadvantage to Alzheimer’s-Related Brain Changes

A University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) study in JAMA Network Open associated residence in disadvantaged neighborhoods with higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease-related brain changes, reports the Wisconsin State Journal . People living in the most disadvantaged areas were twice as likely to have such brain changes as those in the most affluent places. The researchers analyzed data from 447 people who died from 1990 to 2016, examining postmortem brain tissue for two kinds of amyloid deposits. Autopsy findings were connected to neighborhood conditions based on the last known residence before death. Donors from disadvantaged neighborhoods were less common in the sample than those from wealthier neighborhoods. "Our work provides a new way to link social determinants to biobanks, and neurons to neighborhoods," said UW-Madison's Amy Kind. "It is very exciting and opens opportunities for countless other studies which may further examine the interplay between social factors and fundamental biology, providing opportunities for new therapies and interventions."