This grant builds upon the research from a prior grant: Disparities in Neurocognitive Impairment Among Hispanics and Latinos in the United States with Parkinson’s Disease: The Role of Cardiovascular Risk
Study Rationale: In the United States, Latinos with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are more likely to have problems with memory, planning and other thinking skills than people with PD of other ethnic/racial backgrounds, but we do not know why. Diabetes and other cardiovascular medical conditions are more common in Latinos and could help explain why Latinos with PD are more likely to develop problems with memory and other thinking skills. Other social factors, such as limited access to specialty healthcare and limited English proficiency, are also likely to play a role.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that Latinos with PD will be more likely to have diabetes and other cardiovascular medical conditions than non-Latino White persons with PD, and that this co-occurrence could help explain why Latinos with PD have more problems with memory and other thinking skills.
Study Design: We will recruit 160 persons with PD age 40 and over living in the United States (80 who self-identify as Latino and 80 who self-identify as non-Latino White) and ask them to complete several tests of memory and other thinking skills (in English or Spanish). We will obtain blood samples, administer physical exams and ask their medical history to gather information on diabetes and other cardiovascular conditions, as well as their symptoms of PD. We will ask all participants to complete surveys to measure access and use of healthcare and English language use, among other social factors that impact health.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Identifying factors that can exacerbate problems with memory and other thinking skills in Latino persons with PD is the first step to creating treatment programs that will help reduce these problems in this group.
Next Steps for Development: If we find that diabetes and related medical conditions are important, we will develop culturally appropriate programs to reduce these conditions.