Inequality's Imprint: Historical Socioeconomic Effects on Brain Health and Aging

Historical and ongoing structural inequities have an impact on brain health. The complex relationships between these structural inequities and neurodegenerative conditions remain incompletely elucidated yet better understanding these relationships has implications for the cognitive health of all populations. Research from regions in and outside of the United States, particularly Latin America, that examines the influence of structural inequities on brain health can further the development of targeted interventions to address urgent needs in this field as the global population continues to rapidly age and diversify.

Targeted interventions that address inequities that impact brain health are incompletely developed and are not widely implemented across various settings. Greater knowledge in the domains outlined in the scope of this Research Topic present an avenue by which foundational knowledge can be built to ultimately help with the development of these targeted interventions.

This Research Topic seeks to further our understanding of the following: 1) pervasiveness of historical and ongoing structural inequities among various older adult populations with neurodegenerative conditions; 2) protective factors among older adult populations that protect cognition in the setting of exposure to numerous inequities; 3) contributions of specific inequities to neurodegenerative conditions and cognitive health changes (redlining, etc.); 5) how inequities impact access to clinical care and research opportunities for neurodegenerative conditions; 6) the mechanism by which exposure to inequities results in neurodegenerative pathology and cognitive decline; and 7) the impact of inequities-focused policy on cognitive health and prevention of neurodegenerative conditions. Article types for consideration include original research, systematic reviews, methods articles, hypothesis and theory articles, perspectives, opinions, policy briefs, and brief research reports.