# The Impact of Social, Genetic and Neuroimaging Factors on Cognitive Functioning in the Black Community

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $214,704

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant seeks this K01 award to gain expertise on integrating social factors and neuropsychological
assessments to examine within race heterogeneity for cognitive decline risk factors in the Black community. To
achieve these goals, the applicant plans to leverage her strength is quantitative methodology for biomarker
data to gain expertise in four critical areas of training: (1) research neuropsychological testing and community
engagement; (2) health disparities and lifecourse factors; (3) genetics; and (4) professional training. With the
guidance from her expert mentorship team and through a detailed training plan, the applicant will develop an
in-depth knowledge in these training areas and enable the applicant to be well positioned to successfully
complete the proposed aims of the K01. The overall research goal of this K01 application is to determine how
social, neuroimaging markers, and genetic risk factors contribute to cognitive decline in non-demented older
Black individuals. Research suggests current “well-established” risk factors for cognitive decline and
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which have been identified primarily in the white community, do not behave the
same in Black individuals. Thus, it is critical to explore potential heterogeneity in risk factors within the Black
community in order to accurately predict risk for cognitive decline. The first part of aim 1 examines the effect of
early and current social factors on neuroimaging measures that have previously been associated with cognition
(e.g. structural magnetic resonance imaging measures and vascular burden measured as white matter
hyperintensities) in self-identified non-Hispanic Black participants. The second part of aim 1 will determine if
these neuroimaging markers mediate the association of social factors and cognitive decline. We hypothesize
that more social disadvantage will be inversely associated with AD-specific brain regions and faster rates of
cognitive decline. We also hypothesize that neuroimaging measures will partially mediate the association of
social factors on cognitive decline. Differences in racial groups may be due to social factors, which members of
the Black community are disproportionately impacted. Finally, it is important to remember that race is a social
construct and is dependent on self-identification, with no biological root. Moreover, recent studies suggest that
genetic ancestry may influence risk for AD and impact pathological features of aging. It is unclear if genetic
ancestry and social factors correlate, or if they have unique contributions to cognitive decline. Thus, our final
aim will determine if genetic ancestry and/or social factors differentially influence the effect of APOE4 on
cognitive decline. The primary hypothesis is that Black participants with more social disadvantage throughout
life, will inversely effect these risk factors and have a faster rate of cognitive decline. We will also investigate if
this associ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10664484
- **Project number:** 1K01NS127947-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Kacie Deters
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $214,704
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-04-15 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10664484

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10664484, The Impact of Social, Genetic and Neuroimaging Factors on Cognitive Functioning in the Black Community (1K01NS127947-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10664484. Licensed CC0.

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