A Commentary: Invisibility of Older African-American Adults in Electrophysiological Research on Alzheimer's Disease

Currently, researchers are examining the feasibility of integrating electrophysiological biomarkers in the clinical assessment of older adults (≥65 years of age) with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This research has been executed predominantly in older Caucasian adults. Older African-American adults have not been effectively recruited for this research. This issue has resulted in a significant gap in the literature about electrophysiological biomarkers and potential clinical utility in assessing for and diagnosing AD in older African-American adults.

To share an opinion about the invisibility of older African-American adults in electrophysiological research on AD and potential outcome their inclusion can have on the integration of electrophysiological biomarkers into clinical practice.

For this commentary, it was necessary to determine the status of older African-American adults in electrophysiological research. Studies were identified using the search engines PUBMED, CINAHL, Elsevier, and Scopus with a time range of between 2016 and 2022. Nineteen peer-reviewed studies supported this commentary.

In older Caucasian adults with AD, electrophysiological biomarkers were associated with the onset and progression of AD. These biomarkers related to the cognitive impairment of AD and its manifestations. There were no studies characterizing any electrophysiological biomarkers in older African-American adults with AD.

Research is growing to support the integration of electrophysiological biomarkers into clinical practice. The invisibility of older African-American adults in this research affects the reliability of electrophysiological biomarkers and their application to persons with AD in racially diverse groups. This invisibility also contributes to health disparities confronting older African-American adults with AD and their caregivers.