Spirituality and Brain Health in Older Adults

Historically underrepresented populations experience a disproportionate burden of age-related cognitive disorders compared to non-White populations. As a salient resource for coping in Black communities, spirituality may be associated with better brain health, yet research is limited, especially in this population. This study aims to examine: 1) associations between spirituality and cognition, 2) identify possible differences across racial groups and, 3) explore the role of spirituality as a
moderator between AD blood biomarkers and cognition. I hypothesize a relationship exists between (a) spirituality and specific cognitive domains including executive function and memory, (b) the protective effect of spirituality on cognition will be stronger in Black individuals, and (c) higher spirituality will attenuate the association between AD blood biomarkers and cognition. Using
secondary data from the Penn AD Research Center and Memory Centers, we will use multivariate regression with moderation analyses to elucidate spirituality as a potential resilience factor in minority brain health.