# Cuidar, intentar, y lastimar (To care, try, and hurt): The Biobehavioral Role of Discrimination in ADRD Spousal Caregiving

> **NIH NIH RF1** · RICE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $137,260

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The goal of the parent project is to understand how social isolation and loneliness affect caregiver burden,
understand the momentary role of loneliness in physical health outcomes, and identify temporal targets for
intervention based on momentary loneliness in ADRD spousal caregivers. We will examine how vagally
mediated HRV impacts mental and physical wellbeing in ADRD spousal caregivers as an exploratory aim.
Three Hundred ADRD spousal caregivers will complete assessments on attachment, quality of life, caregiver
burden, grief symptoms, and participate in a blood draw to evaluate inflammation and indices of cellular aging
(i.e., mitochondrial and glycolytic function). These caregivers will also complete momentary assessments of
depressive affect, loneliness, and social isolation, and we will continually measure vagally mediated HRV over
two weeks.
The present study aims to provide biobehavioral evidence in support of the minority stress model with respect
to Latino ADRD spousal caregivers. Aging Latino adults are at increased risk for inflammatory disease,
including type 2 diabetes mellitus and ADRD. Chronic stress underlies one mechanism contributing to this
increased risk. For example, those caregiving for a spouse with ADRD and experiencing stress from ongoing
discrimination may be at increased risk for inflammatory disease. To our knowledge, no studies examine the
specific association between compounding caregiving and discriminatory stress and risk for inflammatory
disease. We predict that Latino ADRD spousal caregivers will report increased caregiver burden and display
increased risk for inflammatory disease (proinflammatory cytokine production). We also predict that these
associations will be explained by discriminatory stress. Investigating the role of discrimination may help future
researchers develop interventions that may reduce disease burden in Latino ADRD caregivers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10937601
- **Project number:** 3RF1AG075946-01A1S1
- **Recipient organization:** RICE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Paul Fagundes
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $137,260
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-05-10 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10937601

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10937601, Cuidar, intentar, y lastimar (To care, try, and hurt): The Biobehavioral Role of Discrimination in ADRD Spousal Caregiving (3RF1AG075946-01A1S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10937601. Licensed CC0.

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