Why Dementia Can Be Different for Latinos

A study presented at the recent Latinos and Alzheimer's Symposium found that Latinos' experience of dementia signs and symptoms may differ from that of Blacks or non-Hispanic whites, marked by more depression and anxiety and a faster rate of functional decline, reports AARP . The researchers compared the rates of anxiety and depression in about 5,000 people and split them into Hispanics, Blacks and non-Hispanic whites and then into cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) carriers. Overall, Hispanics reported more anxiety than either Blacks or non-Hispanic whites, while Hispanics with MCI or AD also noted more anxiety and depression than their peers with those maladies. Anxiety and depression are established risk factors for dementia, and previous research has suggested they can be very early signals of abnormal amyloid and tau protein accruals in the brain. "We have lots of great evidence that medications and talk therapy help, but minorities have the lowest rates of getting this help," said University of Miami Health System clinical psychologist Michael Cuccaro. "We need to do a better job of making mental health services accessible for these groups, with culturally informed providers who speak the same language."