Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that targets memory and cognition of elderly people. Though neuroscience may focus on structural changes of the brain in the hippocampus and cortex leading to healthy neurons to stop functioning (US Department of Health & Human Services, 2021), it is equally as important to understand how to humanize the disease. The diagnosis is not only painful for the individual affected, but also for their family who may be overwhelmed by emotions. Currently, it is estimated that 5.8 million people in the United States are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and by the year 2060 cases are predicted to rise to 14 million (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). This is especially concerning as minority and marginalized populations are expected to be disproportionately affected. For example, cases among African American individuals are predicted to increase by four times over today’s estimates (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Thus, the first step to developing a treatment for people is understanding the social determinants and factors that play a role in the illness.
In the article, “Alzheimer’s Disease in African American Individuals: increased incidence or not enough data?” Dr. Lisa Barnes investigates the issues involving racial differences in studying Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study shows that older African American individuals may show high instances of AD due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, acts of public police brutality, and social unrest (Barnes, 2021). However, despite the prevalence of AD, African Americans are often underrepresented in research studies compared to other minority groups. Three key points in understanding why this racial disparity exists are discussed in this paper: 1) laws in diagnostic criteria accuracy due to the assumption of race as a biological construct, 2) impairment of neuropsychological data due to social determinants, and 3) discrepancies in cross-sectional and longitudinal findings (Barnes). These complex environmental and health discrepancies may play a role in increasing the prevalence of AD. In order to circumvent these obstacles, it is proposed that participants should be recruited in respectful,“mutually beneficial” ways that are culturally sensitive, involve staff members who “reflect the individuals in the community”, and finally provide the necessary support and compensation for participation (Barnes, 2021). While further research is needed to confirm these results, this study shows promising steps for the future.
In parallel, the article “Evaluating Strategies For Reducing Health Disparities By Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health” authored by Dr. Rachel Thornton et al., further focuses on interventions that can be made to reduce health inequities in the African American community. An important factor of consideration is improving access to high quality education, which in turn, may improve health (Thornton, 2016). In their survey of early intervention, the researchers found that programs such as the Perry Preschool Project, founded in the early 1960s for disadvantaged African Americans, showed that individuals who received high-quality preschool education were shown to have better overall health and have lower rates of crime (Thornton, 2016). Additionally, the authors also state that “eliminating racial and ethnic disparities would reduce medical care costs by $230 billion and indirect costs of excess morbidity and mortality by more than $1 trillion over four years” (Thornton, 2016). To reduce healthcare inequities, it is necessary to begin implementing these interventions at the regional, state, and national levels at an early age to young children. While the study states that population-level studies are needed for more conclusive data, it does show the imperative need for social-determinant targeted interventions, which can help prevent diseases such as AD in African American individuals.
These articles call for action to address medical illnesses and how experimentation is performed. However, as future neuroscientists continue to investigate how to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease, it is crucial to also consider the humanities and social side of the issue as well. Integrating these two fields together can allow researchers to reach the crux of the issue and better the overall health of populations.
References
Barnes, L. (2021, December 6). Alzheimer disease in African American individuals: Increased incidence
or not enough data? Nature News.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, August 20). The truth about aging and dementia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thornton, R., & N, P. (2016, August 1). Evaluating strategies for reducing health disparities by
addressing the Social Determinants of Health: Health Affairs Journal. Health Affairs.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, July 8). Alzheimer's disease fact sheet. National
Institute on Aging.
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