Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with worse cognitive performance and in vivo amyloid accumulation

Socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) has been associated with poorer brain health, yet its underlying pathology remains incompletely understood. We examined whether neighborhood-level SED, measured using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), relates to amyloid deposition assessed with amyloid positron emission tomography (PET). Participants (n = 1110) underwent cognitive assessment using the mini mental state examination (MMSE) and PET scanning with amyloid-specific tracers.

Associations between national and state ADI and MMSE and global amyloid burden were evaluated using linear models adjusting for age, sex, and APOE-ε4 carrier status. Higher ADI was associated with lower MMSE scores, with both national and state measures showing significant inverse associations independent of age and sex (all p