# Environmental Moderation of Genetic Influences on Dementia Risk in Mexican Older Adults

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2024 · $22,789

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Mexican older adults are projected to face disproportionate rates of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
(ADRD) [1], but the underlying environmental and genetic factors accounting for these ADRD disparities are
not fully understood. A proposed mechanism for these disparities is the cumulative disadvantage theory,
wherein differential exposure to different genetic or environmental risk factors across the life course
accumulate in ways that contribute to greater prevalence of ADRD [2-4]. However, the ability to systematically
test whether this theory accounts for the observed disparities has been hindered by a lack of research on
genetic and social environmental ADRD risk factors among Mexican older adults. The proposed study will
clarify environmental conditions under which genetic expression of ADRD in Mexican older adults is maximized
and minimized. First, I will specify effects of multiple environmental factors (i.e., education, literacy,
socioeconomic status, rurality, and migration) on ADRD risk. Second, I will test the modifying role of each
environmental factor on effects of apolipoprotein-E (APOE) on ADRD risk. Third, I will test the modifying role of
each environmental factor on effects a polygenic risk score (PRS) for ADRD developed specifically in persons
of Mexican ancestry on ADRD risk. No research to date has examined gene-by-environmental risk factors for
ADRD risk in Mexican older adults. The proposed study will leverage a large-scale community-based dataset,
the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS; Mexico), the sample in which the Mexican origin PRS has been
developed. The proposed training and research plan address the following research questions: Which
environmental risk factors contribute to ADRD risk in Mexican older adults? To what extent do environmental
risk factors moderate effects of common ADRD genetic risk variants in Mexican older adults? To address these
questions, the following specific aims will be addressed: 1) Test whether the environmental factors influence
ADRD risk scores in Mexican older adults via a latent dementia index (LDI); 2) Test whether environmental
factors moderate APOE ε4 effects on LDI scores in Mexican adults; 3) Test whether environmental factors
moderate the Mexican origin PRS effects on LDI scores in Mexican older adults. The proposed project will be
the first study to elucidate the genetic and environmental influences that may underlie the elevated ADRD risk
in Mexican older adults. Improved understanding of the role of these factors will also have important
implications for public health, as this study will provide empirical evidence to inform and develop targeted
intervention strategies that may mitigate ADRD risk among Mexican older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10834052
- **Project number:** 5F31AG077889-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Kayla Tureson
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $22,789
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-16 → 2024-07-26

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10834052

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10834052, Environmental Moderation of Genetic Influences on Dementia Risk in Mexican Older Adults (5F31AG077889-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10834052. Licensed CC0.

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