Nik Lampe, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, presented their Alzheimer’s Association-funded research entitled “Social Support, Isolation, and Cognitive Health among LGBTQ+ Older Adults in the United States” at an invited featured research session during the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia.
Lampe's study examines associations between subjective cognitive health, LGBTQ+-identity social support, and social isolation in LGBTQ+ older adults. Lampe asserts that understanding the role of LGBTQ+ identity-affirming social support from families, coworkers, neighbors, and friends, as well as the impact of social isolation on cognitive health, is critical for reducing Alzheimer's risk and developing targeted prevention strategies for LGBTQ+ older adults and other understudied communities in Alzheimer's research.