Researchers at the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute have launched the Brazilian Aging in New York–New Jersey Study – one of the first United States–based studies to investigate aging and brain health in Brazilian immigrants. The BRAINY-NJ Study is actively recruiting participants. Brazilian adults ages 55 and older who speak Portuguese and live in the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area may be eligible.
Participation involves questionnaires, cognitive tests, physical exams and a blood test, all conducted by trained professionals in Portuguese. Eligible individuals can receive up to $125 for their time and involvement. Participants also will receive feedback on their blood test and be invited to attend educational and community wellness events.
Sharon Sanz Simon, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a core member of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center and the Brain Health Institute, is leading the study. As the director of the EngAGING Lab, her research focuses on how sociocultural and lifestyle factors, such as education, physical activity, stress and social engagement, affect risk and resilience to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, particularly among diverse populations. To read the full story.