Studies show that older African Americans are almost twice as likely as whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease for genetic, biological and socioeconomic reasons. Yet relatively few African Americans want to talk about Alzheimer’s, which is the leading cause of dementia. For historical reasons, even fewer want to participate in clinical research trials that could deliver benefits to themselves and future generations. Reisa A. Sperling, professor of neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is quoted. Sperling is the principal investigator of a study involving 60 sites in the United States, Canada and Australia attempting to learn whether regular transfusions of an antibody will stop the cascading series of events that lead to memory loss, cognitive impairment and, eventually, death.
