Exploring Biomarkers and Risk Factors for Typical and Atypical Dementia in Underrepresented Populations

Background
Recent advances in dementia diagnostics and therapeutics have transformed the landscape of early disease detection and care. The development of scalable and reliable biomarker assays, together with the introduction of novel disease-modifying treatments targeting both amyloid and non-amyloid pathologies, offers new hope for slowing or
altering the trajectory of dementia. Yet, the benefits and applicability of these advances remain uncertain for underrepresented populations, where genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural factors may influence disease risk, biomarker profiles, and therapeutic outcomes.
Mounting evidence shows that ancestry significantly affects the expression and interpretation of dementia biomarkers and modulates the impact of genetic risk factors, such as APOE genotype, on the development and progression of AD and other dementia syndromes. Furthermore, environmental stressors disproportionately affecting
underserved populations—such as air pollution, sleep disruption, head trauma, and others—likely play a critical role in dementia pathogenesis and may modify biomarker signatures in both typical (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) and atypical (e.g., frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia) forms. Investigating these unique
biological and environmental risk factors, as well as their interactions with current and emerging biomarkers, is critical not only for addressing health disparities and designing efficient clinical trials, but also for advancing our understanding of dementia’s complex
mechanisms across diverse populations.

Goal
The goal of this Research Topic is to yield a comprehensive understanding of how unique biological, genetic, and environmental risk factors in underrepresented populations impact the diagnosis, biomarker accuracy, pathogenesis, and treatment response for both typical and atypical dementias. Emphasis will be placed on integrating insights from novel biomarker research (covering traditional and non-traditional markers: amyloid, tau, neuroinflammation, gliosis, lysosomal dysfunction, accelerated aging, etc.) and on the assessment of disease-modifying therapeutics, both approved and in development. By bringing together both original research and expert syntheses, this topic aims to foster a nuanced scientific understanding of how ancestry, environment, and social determinants intersect with emerging diagnostic tools and therapies, ultimately informing a more
equitable and precise approach to dementia understanding and care.

Scope
We invite the submission of any manuscript type supported by the journal (Original Research, Review, Brief Research Report, Perspective, etc.) addressing the intersection of unique dementia risk factors and biomarker science in underserved, underrepresented, and ancestral minority populations. Relevant themes include, but are not limited to:

• Discovery and validation of molecular, fluid, imaging, and other biomarkers for typical and atypical dementias in biomarker-diverse populations.
• The impact of ancestry, socioeconomic status, environment, and cultural context on dementia biomarker expression, diagnostic accuracy, and treatment efficacy.
• Influence of genetic factors—including, but not limited to, APOE4 and other ancestry-informative markers—on risk and progression across dementia subtypes.
• Interactions between environmental exposures (e.g., air quality, head trauma, sleep disruption, infectious disease) and dementia biomarkers/risk in population-specific contexts.
• Assessment of traditional and novel biomarkers, including those reflecting neuroinflammation, gliosis, lysosomal function, and accelerated aging, in diverse communities.
• Implications of population-specific risk and biomarker variation for the development, approval, and clinical use of disease-modifying dementia therapies.
• Interdisciplinary studies linking biological pathways with quantifiable effects on diagnostic precision and therapeutic outcomes in underrepresented groups.
• Strategies to address health disparities in dementia diagnosis and treatment through precision biomarker implementation and culturally sensitive care delivery.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Biomarkers, Dementia, Underrepresented Populations, Genetics, Typical & Atypical biomarkers, Environmental Risk Factors, Health Disparities, Diverse populations

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.