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One of the most challenging procedures during maxillary osteotomy is pterygomaxillary suture (PMS) separation, due to the difficulty of directly inspecting this suture and the anatomical complexity of the adjacent structures. Knowing the precise anatomical dimensions and the position of the PMS, namely, the angle at which to approach this structure, may help in determining the proper osteotome. It will also help the oral and maxillofacial surgeon to perform this sensitive procedure more precisely and to minimize surgical complications (e.g., internal maxillary artery injury and unfavorable fracture during separation). The current study aimed to evaluate the morphology of PMS in an adult Israeli population using CBCT scans of the maxilla. Fifty CBCTs of healthy males (n = 27) and females (n = 23) were collected and analyzed. The vertical height, maximal thickness, and angulation of the PMS relative to the midsagittal plane of the skull were evaluated on both the right and left sides of the patient. An independent samples t-test was carried out to determine PMS morphological differences between males and females. A related samples t-test was conducted to determine the PMS morphological differences between the right and left sides. No significant differences in PMS parameters were found between sides in males and females (p > 0.225). Both males and females exhibited similar height and angulation of the PMS (p > 0.486). Interestingly, the PMS thickness was statistically greater in males (p = 0.029); however, this difference was clinically insignificant. The mean dimensions of the PMS in a healthy Israeli adult population are presented and discussed, as well as the clinical and methodological implications.

Fault attacks are traditionally considered under a threat model that assumes the device under test is in the possession of the attacker. We propose a variation on this model. In our model, the attacker integrates a fault injection circuit into a malicious field-replaceable unit, or FRU, which is later placed by the victim in close proximity to their own device. Examples of devices which incorporate FRUs include interface cards in routers, touch screens and sensor assemblies in mobile phones, ink cartridges in printers, batteries in health sensors, and so on. FRUs are often installed by after-market repair technicians without properly verifying their authenticity, and previous works have shown they can be used as vectors for various attacks on the privacy and integrity of smart devices. We design and implement a low-cost fault injection circuit suitable for placement inside a malicious FRU, and show how it can be used to practically extract secrets from a privileged system process through a combined hardware-software approach, even if the attacker software application only has user-level permissions. Our prototype produces highly effective and repeatable attacks, despite its cost being several orders of magnitude less than that of commonly used fault injection analysis lab setups. This threat model allows fault attacks to be carried out remotely, even if the device under test is in the hands of the victim. Considered together with recent advances in software-only fault attacks, we argue that resistance to fault attacks should be built into additional classes of devices.

Mediation pathways explaining racial/ethnic and socioeconomic (SES) disparities in structural MRI markers of brain health remain underexplored. We examined racial/ethnic and SES disparities in sMRI markers and tested total, direct, and indirect effects through lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors using a structural equations modeling approach among 36,184 UK Biobank participants aged 40-70 years at baseline assessment (47% men). Race (non-White vs. White) and lower SES-predicted poorer brain sMRI volumetric outcomes at follow-up, with racial/ethnic disparities in sMRI outcomes involving multiple pathways and SES playing a central role in those pathways. Mediational patterns differed across outcomes, with the SES-sMRI total effect being partially mediated for all outcomes. Over 20% of the total effect (TE) of race/ethnicity on WMH was explained by the indirect effect (IE), by a combination of different pathways going through SES, lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors. This is in contrast to < 10% for total brain, gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and frontal GM left/right. Another significant finding is that around 57% of the total effect for SES and the normalized white matter hyperintensity (WMH) was attributed to an indirect effect. This effect encompasses many pathways that involve lifestyle, health-related, and cognitive aspects. Aside from WMH, the percent of TE of SES mediated through various pathways ranged from ~ 5% for WM to > 15% up to 36% for most of the remaining sMRI outcomes, which are composed mainly of GM phenotypes. Race and SES were important determinants of brain volumetric outcomes, with partial mediation of racial/ethnic disparities through SES, lifestyle, health-related, and cognition factors., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Introduction: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with poorer executive function, but the neural mechanisms of this association remain unclear. As healthy brain communication is essential to our cognitive abilities, white matter integrity may be key to understanding socioeconomic disparities., Methods: Participants were 201 African American and White adults (ages 33-72) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to estimate regional fractional anisotropy as a measure of white matter integrity. Adjusting for age, analyses examined if integrity of the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), external capsule (EC), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and cingulum mediated SES-executive function relations., Results: Lower SES was related to poorer cognitive performance and white matter integrity. Lower Trails B performance was related to poorer integrity of the ALIC, EC, and SLF, and lower Stroop performance was associated with poorer integrity of the ALIC and EC. ALIC mediated the SES-Trails B relation, and EC mediated the SES-Trails B and SES-Stroop relations. Sensitivity analyses revealed that (1) adjustment for race rendered the EC mediations non-significant, (2) when using poverty status and continuous education as predictors, results were largely the same, (3) at least some of the study's findings may generalize to processing speed, (4) mediations are not age-dependent in our sample, and (5) more research is needed to understand the role of cardiovascular risk factors in these models., Discussion: Findings demonstrate that poorer white matter integrity helps explain SES disparities in executive function and highlight the need for further clarification of the biopsychosocial mechanisms of the SES-cognition association., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Shaked, Katzel, Davatzikos, Gullapalli, Seliger, Erus, Evans, Zonderman and Waldstein.)

Anemia (blood hemoglobin [Hb] <13 g/dL among males; <12 g/dL among females) and elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) are potential risk factors for reduced brain white matter integrity (WMI), reflected by lower fractional anisotropy or increased mean diffusivity. Cross-sectional data with exposure-outcome lag time was used, whereby hematological exposures (RDW and Hb) and covariates were compiled from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study with available visit 1 (v 1 ; 2004-2009) and/or v 2 (2009-2013) data; while diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) outcome data were collected at HANDLS SCAN visit (v scan : 2011-2015, n = 214, mean follow-up from v 1 ±SD: 5.6 ± 1.8 year). Multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses were conducted, overall, stratifying by sex, and further restricting to the nonanemic for RDW exposures in part of the analyses. Among males, RDW (v1) was linked with lower global mean fractional anisotropy (standardized effect size b = -0.30, p= 0.003, q < 0.05; basic model), an association only slightly attenuated with further covariate adjustment. Anemia was not a risk factor for poor WMI, independently of RDW. Ultimately, pending further longitudinal evidence, initial RDW appears to be associated with poorer WMI among males., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: There is significant evidence in the literature that low or relatively low cortisol concentrations near the time of an accident are associated with more severe forms of whiplash-associated disorders. We hypothesized that treating patients that were involved in a motor vehicle accident with hydrocortisone would alleviate the incidence and severity of these disabling disorders., Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Blunt trauma patients that underwent a motor vehicle crash were allocated into a study group that received a single bolus of hydrocortisone and a control group that received saline. The patients were followed for 1 month. The incidence and severity of whiplash associated disorder, functional disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder were compared between the two groups. The analyses were repeated for sub-divisions into groups of high and low admission cortisol., Results: The more severe forms of whiplash-associated disorders on the day of accident were associated with low cortisol levels; mean cortisol concentration of the lower grade of whiplash patients (13.09 ± 7.35 µg%) was higher than that of whiplash syndrome of the severe forms (8.33 ± 3.45 µg), p = 0.001. There were no differences between study and control groups regarding whiplash-associated disorders, functional tests, and severity of stress disorder 1 month after the accident. Significant differences were evident between high and low cortisol sub-groups. Those who had low cortisol level on admission and received hydrocortisone had worse outcomes., Conclusion: Steroid treatment of patients with whiplash might be harmful to those who present with low cortisol concentrations (< 9.5 μg/dL)., Trial Registration: Clinical Trials: Association between low cortisol levels and whiplash syndrome. Date of registration: March 18, 2014. Date the first participant was enrolled: May 10, 2014., Trial Registration Number: NCT02090309. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02090309 ., (© 2019. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Carotenoids may strengthen the association of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E with favorable cognitive outcomes over time, though a few prospective studies have examined this hypothesis. We evaluated the longitudinal data from 1251 participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study (Age at visit 1 in 2004-2009 (v 1 ): 30-65 years). Vitamins A, C, and E dietary intakes and total and individual dietary carotenoids were computed using two 24-h recalls at v 1 . Cognitive tests, covering global mental status and domains of memory/learning, attention, psychomotor speed, visuo-spatial, language/verbal, and executive function were conducted at v 1 and/or v 2 (2009-2013); mean ± SD follow-up: 4.66 ± 0.93 years. Mixed-effects linear regression models detected an interaction between vitamin E and total (and individual) carotenoids for three of 11 cognitive tests at v 1 , with only one meeting the statistical significance upon multiple testing correction whereby vitamin E was linked with greater verbal memory performance in the uppermost total carotenoid tertile ( γ 0 a = +0.26 ± 0.08, p = 0.002), a synergism largely driven by carotenoid lycopene. Vitamins A and C showed no consistent interactions with carotenoids. In conclusion, we provide partial evidence for synergism between vitamin E and carotenoids in relation to better baseline cognitive performance, pending further studies with time-dependent exposures and randomized trials directly examining this synergism.

The Conners' Continuous Performance Test-Second Edition (CCPT-2) is a widely used measure of attention and impulsivity, however, only a minimal amount is known about its reliability. To clarify the psychometric properties of the CCPT-2, we assessed its performance stability and related it to criterion measures. A total of 91 undergraduate students completed the CCPT-2, the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), and reported on sleep during two sessions approximately one week apart. They completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A) at session one and the Stroop Color and Word Test at session two. Findings indicated that the CCPT-2 had strong internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability for commission errors and response time, poor test-retest reliability for omission errors, and practice effects for omission and commission errors. The CCPT-2 was largely unrelated to the BRIEF-A, Stroop Color and Word Test, and the STPI. More sleep was related to a quicker response time and more commission errors on the CCPT-2, and the BRIEF-A's Behavior Regulation Index was positively related to commission errors. Relative to the omission error component of the CCPT-2, commission errors and response time may be useful and stable measures of sustained attention and impulsivity.

Background and objectives: Lower vitamin status has been linked to cognitive deficits, pending mechanistic elucidation. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], folate and cobalamin were explored against brain volumes and white matter integrity (WMI). Methods: Three prospective waves from Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span (HANDLS) study were used [Baltimore, City, MD, 2004-2015, N = 183-240 urban adults (Age v1 : 30-64 years)]. Serum vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], folate and cobalamin concentrations were measured at visits 1 (v 1 : 2004-2009) and 2 (v 2 : 2009-2013), while structural and diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI/dMRI) outcomes were measured at v scan : 2011-2015. Top 10 ranked adjusted associations were corrected for multiple testing using familywise Bonferroni (FWER <0.05) and false discovery rates (FDR, q -value < 0.10). Results: We found statistically significant (FWER < 0.05; β±SE) direct associations of 25(OH)D(v 1 ) with WM volumes [overall: +910 ± 336/males: +2,054 ± 599], occipital WM; [overall: +140 ± 40, males: +261 ± 67 and Age v1 > 50 years: +205 ± 54]; parietal WM; [overall: +251 ± 77, males: +486 ± 129 and Age v1 > 50 years: +393 ± 108] and left occipital pole volume [overall: +15.70 ± 3.83 and above poverty: 19.0 ± 4.3], findings replicated for 25(OH)D (v 2 -v 1 ) annualized exposure, which was also linked with greater WMI (fractional anisotropy, FA) in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC); FWER < 0.05 [Overall: +0.0020 ± 0.0004; Whites: +0.0024 ± 0.0004] and in the cingulum (hippocampus) [Overall: +0.0016 ± 0.0004]. Only trends were detected for cobalamin exposures ( q < 0.10), while serum folate (v 1 ) was associated with lower mean diffusivity (MD) in ALIC, reflecting greater WMI, overall. Conclusions: Among urban adults, serum 25(OH)D status and increase were consistently linked to larger occipital and parietal WM volumes and greater region-specific WMI. Pending longitudinal replication of our findings, randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation should be conducted against brain marker outcomes., (Copyright © 2020 Beydoun, Shaked, Hossain, Beydoun, Katzel, Davatzikos, Gullapalli, Seliger, Erus, Evans, Zonderman and Waldstein.)

Background: The exact underlying mechanism of whiplash-associated disorders still remains obscure. Central sensitization of the brain to painful stimulus and disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has been suggested to contribute to the development of whiplash-associated disorders. Although cortisol is a well-known factor in the acute stress response and its effects on chronic pain sensation were studied, information is lacking regarding the relation between acute phase cortisol concentrations and the intensity of whiplash-associated disorders. The aim of this prospective observational study was to investigate the relationship between acute serum cortisol concentrations and the severity of whiplash-associated disorders., Methods: 55 patients enrolled in the study and they answered a pertinent questionnaire. A blood sample was drawn to determine serum cortisol concentration., Results: The mean cortisol concentration of the whiplash-associated disorder score 2-3 patients was significantly lower compared to the whiplash-associated disorder score 1 patients, 9.5 ± 6.9 vs. 13.22 ± 8.3 µg% (p = 0.02). The mean cortisol concentrations increased significantly from mild through moderate to serious grade of severity of accident as perceived by the patient, 9.64 ± 4.82, 11.59 ± 6.85, 17.39 ± 12.1 µg% (p = 0.02)., Conclusions: The study supports the possibility that cortisol plays a role in the development of whiplash-associated disorders. Low or relatively low cortisol concentrations might be associated with more severe forms of the disorder.

Objectives: Epigenetic modifications are closely linked with aging, but their relationship with cognition remains equivocal. Given known sex differences in epigenetic aging, we explored sex-specific associations of 3 DNA methylation (DNAm)-based measures of epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) with baseline and longitudinal change in cognitive performance among middle-aged urban adults., Methods: We used exploratory data from a subgroup of participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study with complete DNA samples and whose baseline ages were >50.0 years (2004-2009) to estimate 3 DNAm EAA measures: (1) universal EAA (AgeAccel); (2) intrinsic EAA (IEAA); and (3) extrinsic EAA (EEAA). Cognitive performance was measured at baseline visit (2004-2009) and first follow-up (2009-2013) with 11 test scores covering global mental status and specific domains such as learning/memory, attention, visuospatial, psychomotor speed, language/verbal, and executive function. A series of mixed-effects regression models were conducted adjusting for covariates and multiple testing (n = 147-156, ∼51% men, k = 1.7-1.9 observations/participant, mean follow-up time ∼4.7 years)., Results: EEAA, a measure of both biological age and immunosenescence, was consistently associated with greater cognitive decline among men on tests of visual memory/visuoconstructive ability (Benton Visual Retention Test: γ 11 = 0.0512 ± 0.0176, p = 0.004) and attention/processing speed (Trail-Making Test, part A: γ 11 = 0.219 ± 0.080, p = 0.007). AgeAccel and IEAA were not associated with cognitive change in this sample., Conclusions: EEAA capturing immune system cell aging was associated with faster decline among men in domains of attention and visual memory. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to replicate our findings., (© 2019 American Academy of Neurology.)

Objective: The present study investigates whether associations between telomere length (TL) and cognitive performance across multiple domains are moderated by poverty status and race., Method: Participants were 325 African American and White urban-dwelling adults (M age = 47.9 years; 49.5% African American; 50.2% female; 48.9% living in poverty) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study. TL was assayed from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using quantitative polymerase chain reactions. Multivariable regression analyses examined interactions of TL, poverty status, and race with performance on the following cognitive tests: Trail-Making Test Parts A and B, Digit Span Forward and Backward, semantic verbal fluency, Brief Test of Attention, Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), and California Verbal Learning Test-II total learning, short-delay free recall, and long-delay free recall scores. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, and high school-or-greater educational attainment., Results: Significant three-way interactions of TL × Poverty Status × Race revealed that, among White participants living in poverty, shorter TL was associated with worse performance on Digit Span Forward and Backward (ps<.05). Additionally, significant two-way interactions of TL × Poverty Status revealed that, among all participants living in poverty, shorter TL was associated with worse performance on the Trail-Making Test Part B and the BVRT (ps<.05)., Conclusions: TL may be differentially associated with aspects of attention, executive functioning, and memory among individuals living in poverty, who may be uniquely vulnerable to adverse effects of shorter telomeres. Replication of these findings is needed to determine their generalizability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests that both anemia and elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) are associated with cognitive impairment. However, the interplay between these 2 predictors has been understudied., Objectives: We examined sex- and anemia-specific associations between RDW and cognitive performance among urban adults in the United States., Methods: Data from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study (Baltimore, MD; participants aged 30-65 y at baseline, ∼59% African-American, 45% men) were used. Participants were selected based on the completion of 11 cognitive tasks at baseline (2004-2009) and follow-up (2009-2013) visits (mean time between visits: 4.64 ± 0.93 y) and availability of exposure and covariate data, yielding a sample of between 1526 and 1646 adults out of the initial 3720 adults recruited at baseline. Multiple linear mixed-effects regression models were conducted with RDW as the main exposure of interest and anemia/sex as the key effect modifiers., Results: Overall, high RDWs were linked to poorer baseline performance on the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) List A (per 1 unit increase in RDW %, main effect: γ01 = -0.369 ± 0.114; P = 0.001) and to slower rates of decline on the CVLT Delayed Free Recall (per 1 unit increase in RDW %, RDW × time: γ11 = +0.036 ± 0.013; P = 0.007). Among nonanemic participants, RDWs were consistently associated with poorer baseline performance on the Trailmaking Test, Part A (γ01 = +3.11 ± 0.89; P < 0.001) and on the CVLT List A (γ01 = -0.560 ± 0.158; P < 0.001). Moreover, RDWs were associated with poorer baseline performance on the Brief Test of Attention in the total population (γ01 = -0.123 ± 0.039; P = 0.001) and among men (γ01 = -0.221 ± 0.068; P = 0.001). We did not detect an association between hemoglobin (Hb) and baseline cognitive performance or changes over time., Conclusions: Elevated RDW had a consistent cross-sectional association with poor cognitive performance in the domains of verbal memory and attention among the nonanemic group in a sample of middle-aged, urban adults. Anemia and Hb concentrations were not associated with cognition. More longitudinal studies are needed to replicate our findings., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition 2019.)

The sex-specific link between longitudinal annual rate of cognitive change (LARCC) and polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism enzymatic genes remains unclear, particularly among African-American adults. We tested associations of 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from MTHFR, MTRR, MTR, and SHMT genes and select MTHFR haplotypes and latent classes (SNPHAP/SNPLC) with LARCC. Up to 797 African-American participants in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study (age: 30-64 y, 52% women) had 1.6-1.7 (i.e., 1 or 2) repeated measures (follow-up time, mean = 4.69 y) on 9 cognitive test scores, reflecting verbal and visual memory, verbal fluency, psychomotor speed, attention, and executive function: California Verbal Learning Test-immediate recall (CVLT-List A), CVLT-DFR (delayed free recall), Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), Animal Fluency (AF), Digits Span Forward and Backward tests, and Trail Making Test parts A and B (Trails A and B). Multiple linear mixed-effects and multiple linear regression models were conducted. Overall, MTHFR SNPs rs4846051(A1317G, G>A) and rs1801131(A1298C, G>T) were associated with slower and faster declines on AF, respectively, whereas rs2066462(C1056T, A>G) was related to slower decline on Trails B (executive function). Among men, rs4846051(A1317G, G>A) was linked to faster decline on BVRT (visual memory), whereas rs2066462(C1056T, A>G) and rs9651118(C>T) were associated with slower decline on CVLT-List A and rs9651118(C>T) with faster decline on CVLT-DFR. Among women, a slower decline on the domain "verbal memory/fluency" was observed with rs1801133(C677T, A>G). MTHFR 2 SNPHAP [rs1801133(C677T, A>G)/rs1801131(A1298C, G>T): GG] was associated with slower decline on AF among women, whereas MTHFR 3 SNPHAP(AT) was linked with slower decline on CVLT-List A among men but faster decline on "verbal memory/fluency" among women. Similar patterns were observed for MTHFR SNPLCs. In sum, MTHFR gene variations can differentially impact longitudinal changes in multiple cognitive domains among African-American adults., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Cognitive impairment (CI) in older adults is frequently accompanied by difficulty performing complex everyday activities (e.g., managing finances). However, it is unclear if and how older adults with CI modify their activities (i.e., Do individuals continue, monitor, seek help with, change their approach to, or stop different activities?). In the current study, we examined if older adults with CI are concerned about their ability to carry out complex activities, if and how they modify activities based on their concern, and the factors associated with activity modification. We hypothesized that older adults with CI will more frequently be concerned about, and modify, everyday activities than cognitively healthy (HE) older adults, and that higher awareness of memory loss in the CI group would relate to more frequent modification. The sample included 81 older adults (51 HEs; mean age 70.02 (7.34) and 30 CI; mean age 75.97 (8.12)). Compared to HEs, the CI group reported having more concern about, F(3,77) = 5.50, p = 0.02, and modifying a greater number of activities, F(3,77) = 5.02, p = 0.03. Medication management (30%) and completing taxes (33.3%) were among the most frequently modified activities for the CI and HE groups, respectively. In the CI group, higher memory awareness was associated with more concern (r = .53, p = .005) and activity modification (r = 0.55, p = .003). Findings provide novel information about how cognitively diverse older adults navigate complex activities in daily life. We propose a preliminary theoretical model by which self-awareness may influence navigation of everyday activities in the context of CI., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

There is a growing literature demonstrating a link between lower socioeconomic status (SES) and poorer neuroanatomical health, such as smaller total and regional gray and white matter volumes, as well as greater white matter lesion volumes. Little is known, however, about the relation between SES and white matter integrity. Here we examined the relation between SES and white matter integrity of the brain's primary cortical regions, and evaluated potential moderating influences of age and self-identified race. Participants were 192 neurologically intact, community-dwelling African American and White adults (mean age = 52 years; 44% male, 60% White, low SES = 52%) from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study. Participants underwent 3.0-T cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to estimate regional fractional anisotropy (FA) to quantify the brain's white matter integrity and trace to capture diffusivity. Multiple regression analyses examined independent and interactive associations of SES, age, and race with FA of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes bilaterally. Sensitivity analyses assessed the influence of several biopsychosocial risk factors on these associations. Exploratory analyses examined these relations with trace and using additional SES indicators. Results indicated there were no significant interactions of SES, age, and race for any region. Individuals with low SES had lower FA in all regions, and higher trace in the right and left frontal, right and left temporal, and left occipital lobes. Findings remained largely unchanged after inclusion of sensitivity variables. Older age was associated with lower FA and greater trace for all regions, except for the right temporal lobe with FA. No main effects were found for race in FA, and Whites had higher trace values in the parietal lobes. Novel findings of this study indicate that relative to the high SES group, low SES was associated with poorer white matter integrity and greater diffusivity. These results may, in part, reflect exposures to various biopsychosocial risk factors experienced by those of lower SES across the lifespan, and may help explain the preponderance of cognitive and functional disparities between socioeconomic groups.

This study sought to examine the interactive relations of socioeconomic status and race to corticolimbic regions that may play a key role in translating stress to the poor health outcomes overrepresented among those of lower socioeconomic status and African American race. Participants were 200 community-dwelling, self-identified African American and White adults from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span SCAN study. Brain volumes were derived using T1-weighted MP-RAGE images. Socioeconomic status by race interactions were observed for right medial prefrontal cortex (B = .26, p = .014), left medial prefrontal cortex (B = .26, p = .017), left orbital prefrontal cortex (B = .22, p = .037), and left anterior cingulate cortex (B = .27, p = .018), wherein higher socioeconomic status Whites had greater volumes than all other groups. Additionally, higher versus lower socioeconomic status persons had greater right and left hippocampal (B = -.15, p = .030; B = -.19, p = .004, respectively) and amygdalar (B = -.17, p = .015; B = -.21; p = .002, respectively) volumes. Whites had greater right and left hippocampal (B = -.17, p = .012; B = -.20, p = .003, respectively), right orbital prefrontal cortex (B = -.34, p < 0.001), and right anterior cingulate cortex (B = -.18, p = 0.011) volumes than African Americans. Among many factors, the higher levels of lifetime chronic stress associated with lower socioeconomic status and African American race may adversely affect corticolimbic circuitry. These relations may help explain race- and socioeconomic status-related disparities in adverse health outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.