Racial and ethnic differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms and progression to incident cognitive impairment among community-dwelling participants

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-25-2023

Journal

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association

DOI

10.1002/alz.12988

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease; cognitive impairment; ethnicity; neuropsychiatric symptoms; propensity score; race

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are a risk factor for dementia; however, their prevalence and severity among ethnoracial groups are poorly understood. METHODS: We used data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) (n = 6958; ≥50 years old). Cognitively normal participants at baseline, without any NPS or dementia diagnosis, had at least one follow-up. Survival analyses assessed the hazard ratio for 12 NPS models and progression to cognitive impairment. Propensity score weighting (PSW) matched participants on age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: All 12 NPS were significantly associated with progression to cognitive impairment. In the PSW models, compared to whites, Black/African Americans were more likely to progress to cognitive impairment across all 12 NPS models, followed by Hispanic, and then Asian participants. DISCUSSION: PSW minimized selection bias to provide robust risk estimates. There is a higher risk of progressing to cognitive impairment for ethnoracial groups with NPS. Tailored screening of NPS and cognitive impairment should incorporate patient and caregiver reports.

Department

Clinical Research and Leadership

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS