The impact of neighborhood greenspace on cognitively healthy life years and structural markers of brain health

项目概要 研究一致表明，阿尔茨海默病和阿尔茨海默病的患病率存在明显的种族差异。 相关痴呆症（ADRD），其中老年黑人患 ADRD 的可能性大约是黑人的两倍 与年长的白人相比。种族居住隔离被认为是种族歧视的根本驱动因素 健康方面的差异，因为历史上处于不利地位的社区与获得和获得服务的机会较少有关 促进健康和保健的不同质量的资源。弱势群体的具体方面 历史上被红线划定的社区，包括接触绿地的减少，与较贫困的社区有关 认知功能。针对 ADRD 的此类环境风险因素很有吸引力，因为它们高度 与许多个人层面的风险因素不同，它是可以改变的。这项研究将利用来自卫生部门的二手数据， 衰老和身体成分研究，以人口为基础的混血儿样本，对象为 70-79 岁的成年人。的 该应用程序的总体目标是检查暴露于住宅绿地的影响 有助于老年人认知健康的时间以及随着时间的推移大脑结构的变化。 认知健康生命年 (HLY)，或首次出现认知问题时的生存年数，是一个衡量指标 可以促进更好地了解与花费的时间长度相关的风险因素 认知健康。这代表着对现状的实质性背离，扩大了定义 将“健康”认知转变为以人为本的指标，使个人更容易理解，并且效果更好 将负担概括为发病率和死亡率的衡量标准。相关地，大脑的结构测量 健康状况，例如磁共振成像生物标志物，是神经病理学的定量指标， 对未来认知健康的时间具有预测意义。在目标 1 中，我将确定关联 邻里绿地和认知 HLY 之间的关系。我假设居住在社区中的个人 拥有更大的住宅绿地将维持更认知健康的寿命，并且该协会将 因种族而异。在目标 2 中，我将研究绿色空间与大脑物理指标之间的关联 健康。我假设居住在拥有更大住宅绿地的社区的个人会表现出 随着时间的推移，神经病理学的患病率降低（通过灰质微观结构和白质测量） 高强度），并且这种关联因种族而异。在目标 3 中，我将进一步描述一个广泛使用的 使用历史虚拟审计进行综合绿地衡量，以确定绿地的具体组成部分 与健康认知相关的绿色空间。识别可改变的环境风险因素的影响 认知方面的研究对于未来健康大脑老化和公共卫生的预防性干预措施是必要的 建议；国家老龄化研究所的战略方向。本论文资助将提供 实现我的职业目标并在老龄化领域做出有影响力的贡献的必要基础 研究，从博士前实习生转变为独立研究科学家。

PROJECT SUMMARY Consistently, studies indicate there are stark racial differences in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRDs), wherein older Black individuals are about twice as likely to have ADRDs as compared to older White individuals. Racial residential segregation is considered a fundamental driver of racial disparities in health, as historically disadvantaged neighborhoods are associated with less access to and differing quality of resources that promote health and wellness. Specific aspects of disadvantaged and historically redlined neighborhoods, including decreased exposure to greenspace, are associated with poorer cognitive function. Targeting such environmental risk factors for ADRDs is appealing as they are highly modifiable, unlike many individual-level risk factors. This study will utilize secondary data from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study, a population-based, biracial sample of adults aged 70-79 at entry. The overall objective of this application is to examine the influence of exposure to residential greenspace that contributes to time spent in cognitive health among older adults and to structural brain changes over time. Cognitively healthy life years (HLY), or years lived to the first occurrence of cognitive problems, is a metric that can facilitate better understanding of risk factors specifically associated with the length of time spent in years of cognitive health. This represents a substantive departure from the status quo by expanding the definition of “healthy” cognition into a person-centered metric more understandable to the individual, and better encapsulates burden as both a measure of morbidity and mortality. Relatedly, structural measures of brain health, such as magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers, are quantitative indicators of neuropathology that have prognostic significance for future time spent cognitively healthy. In Aim 1, I will determine the association between neighborhood greenspace and cognitively HLY. I hypothesize that individuals living in neighborhoods with greater residential greenspace will maintain more cognitively healthy life years, and this association will differ by race. In Aim 2, I will examine the association between greenspace and physical indicators of brain health. I hypothesize that individuals living in neighborhoods with greater residential greenspace will show a lower prevalence of neuropathology over time (measured by gray matter micro-structure and white matter hyperintensities), and this association will differ by race. In Aim 3, I will further characterize a widely-used composite greenspace measure using historical virtual audits, to identify the specific components of greenspace associated with healthy cognition. Identifying the impact of modifiable, environmental risk factors on cognition is necessary to inform future preventive interventions for healthy brain aging and public health recommendations; a strategic direction of the National Institute on Aging. This dissertation funding will provide the necessary foundation to reach my professional goals and make impactful contributions in the field of aging research, transitioning from predoctoral trainee to an independent research scientist.