# Mindfulness to Enhance Cognitive Health in Latinx Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R61** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $505,115

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
As the world ages, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias are quickly becoming some of the most
pernicious and burdensome diseases around the globe. This burden is particularly high for Latinx older adults,
who have a higher risk of developing AD, and exhibit age-related cognitive decline earlier and with more severe
dementia symptoms than non-Latinx Whites. Despite these known disparities, the Latinx community continues
to be significantly under-represented in AD research. Toward this end, preliminary evidence suggests that
mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) – which refer to training of mindfulness meditation skills in group-based
settings – may help prevent AD in at-risk Latinx individuals. Indeed, MBPs have been found to improve
cognitive health and psychological well-being by addressing major AD risk factors (e.g., chronic stress,
depression), and as such, have significant potential as a low-cost and scalable lifestyle intervention to reduce
AD vulnerability. However, a significant challenge to further research in this area is that the traditional curricular
format of MBPs may not be applicable, relevant, or accessible to Latinx older adults, due to language and cultural
barriers, as well as disparities in access to health care. The goal of this R61 proposal is to address this challenge
by evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of a culturally-adapted MBP that is sensitive to the specific
needs of the Latinx older adult community. To achieve this goal, we fully leverage the complementary expertise
of our investigative team, drawing on the extensive experience and strong community partnerships forged by
co-PI Parra Perez in adapting mindfulness-based stress reduction (the most widely utilized MBP) for use
with Spanish-speaking immigrant communities, by further refining the curriculum to be targeted towards Latinx
older adults. We rigorously examine the MBP intervention, in terms of effectiveness and key mechanisms of
action, drawing upon cutting-edge advances in the cognitive neuroscience of aging and mindfulness
science, by utilizing a powerful new experimental design strategy developed by co-PI Braver with post-
doctoral fellow Lin. Specifically, we utilize a longitudinal EEG protocol to test whether enhanced engagement
of a focused attention mindfulness state is selectively related to neurocognitive benefits, while monitoring
the translation of mindfulness into daily-life contexts through an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)
protocol delivered via a customized mobile application designed specifically for use with Spanish-speaking
Latinx older adults. Finally, we test for the role of preclinical AD and related neurodegeneration in moderating
MBP-related benefits, using state-of-the-art blood plasma-based biomarkers to assess AD risk with low cost
and participant burden. This proposed project is a direct response to recurrent calls for prioritizing the creation
and dissemination of culturally informed researc...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10871433
- **Project number:** 1R61AG087037-01
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** TODD S BRAVER
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $505,115
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10871433

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10871433, Mindfulness to Enhance Cognitive Health in Latinx Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease (1R61AG087037-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10871433. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*