By Yakeel T. Quiroz

The MGH Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program (MAPP) recently launched a research study to examine the impact of COVID19 on the well-being, memory and cognition of ethnically diverse older individuals.

Why is this important?
Recent data from COVID-19 cases have shown that Latinos and other ethnically diverse individuals are disproportionally affected by the novel virus. The stress associated with the pandemic may have a major impact on older adults, and may negatively impact their cognitive functioning and their risk to develop age-related cognitive impairment later in life.   Our ultimate goals are to characterize the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being and cognition of older individuals from different ethnic groups and examine risk and protective factors that may moderate the impact of the pandemic.

What are we doing?
We are conducting a remote survey that can be completed in English or Spanish. A link to the study via Partners RedCap is shared with those who expressed an interest in participating. Participants are asked to complete questionnaires (approx.1 hour), online or by phone, at baseline, 3-months and 6-months, and one optional completion at 12-month follow-up.

Every time they complete a series of questionnaires participants earn entries into our monthly drawing. Each month, at least 10 participants will be drawn, and those individuals will receive a $25 gift card.

For more information: please email us at mapp@mgh.harvard.edu or visit our website: https://mapp.mgh.harvard.edu/covid-impact/

Yakeel T. Quiroz is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School,  Director of the Familial Dementia Neuroimaging Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital and Director of the Multicultural Alzheimer’s Prevention Program-MAPP at Massachusetts General Hospital.

This story will also appear in the HMS Neurobiology Department newsletter, The Action Potential.