A-148 The Association of Neighborhood Trust and Violence with White Matter Integrity in a Diverse Sample

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black older adults are at increased risk of dementia compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Cerebral white matter disease may contribute to this disparity, though little is known about how factors such as neighborhood disadvantage and perceived economic status may relate to white matter integrity in diverse groups. Method: Participants from a population-based, multiethnic cohort (N=2766; Female=58%; Black=48%; Hispanic=14%) completed a measure of neighborhood perceptions (“resources,” “trust,” “violence”) and perceived SES (“access to food,” “access to healthcare”) and underwent 3T brain MRI with 2D FLAIR and 3D T1-weighted sequences to assess white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden and white matter volume (WMV), respectively. Linear regression models examined associations among these variables controlling for demographic and traditional SES variables (income, education), followed by post-hoc analyses by race/ethnicity and sex. Results: Reported income, education, ethnoracial group, and sex were associated with WMH in the overall sample (ps<.05), and “trust,” “access to healthcare,” income, education, race/ethnicity, and sex were significantly associated with cerebral WMV. Post-hoc analyses revealed “violence” was associated with more WMH in Black women (p<.05,β=-0.12), lower “trust” was associated with lower WMV in Hispanic men (p<.05,β=0.22), and lower “access to medical care” was associated with lower WMV in White women (p<.05,β=-0.18). Conclusions: Neighborhood disadvantage and perceived SES were significantly associated with indicators of white matter pathology, with differential relationships across race and sex. Findings may reflect disproportionate environmental and social stressors encountered by some groups. Future analyses will examine whether these sociocultural factors relate to white matter burden and cognitive function later in life.