Brain imaging study highlights ethnoracial differences in dementia

Summary: A large study by Vanderbilt Health found something surprising about dementia. Even though Black and Hispanic older adults are much more likely to get dementia, their brain scans show fewer Alzheimer's plaques than other groups. This means their memory loss might be caused by other things. Doctors worry that if we only focus on Alzheimer's plaques, these groups might miss out on important treatments and clinical trials. The study also found that people in poorer neighborhoods had a higher chance of having these plaques.

Source: VUMC URL: news.vumc.org/2026/05/27/brain-imaging-study-highlights-ethnoracial-differences-in-dementia/ (opens in new tab)