1. Educational disparities in brain health and dementia across Latin America and the United States.
- Author
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Gonzalez-Gomez R, Legaz A, Moguilner S, Cruzat J, Hernández H, Baez S, Cocchi R, Coronel-Olivero C, Medel V, Tagliazuchi E, Migeot J, Ochoa-Rosales C, Maito MA, Reyes P, Santamaria Garcia H, Godoy ME, Javandel S, García AM, Matallana DL, Avila-Funes JA, Slachevsky A, Behrens MI, Custodio N, Cardona JF, Brusco IL, Bruno MA, Sosa Ortiz AL, Pina-Escudero SD, Takada LT, Resende EPF, Valcour V, Possin KL, Okada de Oliveira M, Lopera F, Lawlor B, Hu K, Miller B, Yokoyama JS, Gonzalez Campo C, and Ibañez A
- Subjects
- Humans, Latin America, Male, Female, United States, Aged, Middle Aged, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration pathology, Dementia pathology, Dementia epidemiology, Brain pathology, Brain diagnostic imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Educational Status
- Abstract
Background: Education influences brain health and dementia. However, its impact across regions, specifically Latin America (LA) and the United States (US), is unknown., Methods: A total of 1412 participants comprising controls, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) from LA and the US were included. We studied the association of education with brain volume and functional connectivity while controlling for imaging quality and variability, age, sex, total intracranial volume (TIV), and recording type., Results: Education influenced brain measures, explaining 24%-98% of the geographical differences. The educational disparities between LA and the US were associated with gray matter volume and connectivity variations, especially in LA and AD patients. Education emerged as a critical factor in classifying aging and dementia across regions., Discussion: The results underscore the impact of education on brain structure and function in LA, highlighting the importance of incorporating educational factors into diagnosing, care, and prevention, and emphasizing the need for global diversity in research., Highlights: Lower education was linked to reduced brain volume and connectivity in healthy controls (HCs), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Latin American cohorts have lower educational levels compared to the those in the United States. Educational disparities majorly drive brain health differences between regions. Educational differences were significant in both conditions, but more in AD than FTLD. Education stands as a critical factor in classifying aging and dementia across regions., (© 2024 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)
- Published
- 2024
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