IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Perry, Brea L."

Browsing by Author "Perry, Brea L."

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Associations Between Social Network Characteristics and Brain Structure Among Older Adults
(Wiley, 2024) Manchella, Mohit K.; Logan, Paige E.; Perry, Brea L.; Peng, Siyun; Risacher, Shannon L.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Neurology, School of Medicine
Introduction: Social connectedness is associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults. Recent research suggests that distinct aspects of social networks may have differential effects on cognitive resilience, but few studies analyze brain structure. Methods: This study includes 117 cognitively impaired and 59 unimpaired older adults. The effects of social network characteristics (bridging/bonding) on brain regions of interests were analyzed using linear regressions and voxel-wise multiple linear regressions of gray matter density. Results: Increased social bridging was associated with greater bilateral amygdala volume and insular thickness, and left frontal lobe thickness, putamen, and thalamic volumes. Increased social bonding was associated with greater bilateral medial orbitofrontal and caudal anterior cingulate thickness, as well as right frontal lobe thickness, putamen, and amygdala volumes. Discussion: The associations between social connectedness and brain structure vary depending on the types of social enrichment accessible through social networks, suggesting that psychosocial interventions could mitigate neurodegeneration. Highlights: Distinct forms of social capital are uniquely linked to gray matter density (GMD). Bridging is associated with preserved GMD in limbic system structures. Bonding is associated with preserved GMD in frontal lobe regions. Bridging is associated with increased brain reserve in sensory processing regions. Bonding is associated with increased brain reserve in regions of stress modulation.
Cognitively Stimulating Environments and Cognitive Reserve: The Case of Personal Social Networks
(Elsevier, 2022-04) Peng, Siyun; Roth, Adam R.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Perry, Brea L.; Neurology, School of Medicine
Cognitively stimulating environments are thought to be protective of cognitive decline and onset of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) through the development of cognitive reserve (CR). CR refers to cognitive adaptability that buffers the impact of brain pathology on cognitive function. Despite the critical need to identify cognitively stimulating environments to build CR, there is no consensus regarding which environmental determinants are most effective. Rather, most studies use education as proxies for CR and little is known about the association between older adults’ personal social networks and CR. Using neuroimaging data from 135 older adults participating in the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease (SNAD) study, this article adopted a residual method for measuring CR and found that large network size, high network diversity, and loosely connected networks were positively associated with greater CR. These results suggest that expansive social networks in later life may constitute cognitively stimulating environments which can be leveraged to build CR and reduce the burden of ADRD.
Do subjective or objective cognitive measures better predict social network type among older adults?
(Taylor & Francis, 2022) Roth, Adam R.; Peng, Siyun; Coleman, Max E.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Perry, Brea L.; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
A large literature highlights the link between cognitive function and social networks in later life. Yet there remains uncertainty about the factors driving this relationship. In the present study, we use measures of subjective cognitive decline and clinical cognitive assessments on a sample of older adults to investigate whether the relationship between cognitive function and social networks is driven by psychosocial factors. We found a consistent link between clinical cognitive assessments and social network type, but no association between subjective concerns of cognitive decline and networks. Participants who exhibited signs of clinical cognitive impairment were more likely to have restricted networks (i.e., smaller networks consisting of fewer contacts, more interconnectivity, and less social diversity) compared to their cognitively normal counterparts, regardless of subjective measures of cognitive decline—both from the participant’s perspective and study partner’s perspective. These findings suggest that neither cognitively impaired older adults nor their network members appear to consciously dissolve social ties on the basis of perceived cognitive decline. However, it remains unclear whether the association between clinical cognitive impairment and social network type indicates the protective nature of social networks against cognitive decline or a subconscious process leading to social contraction.
"Does this Look Infected to You?" Social Network Predictors of Dental Help-Seeking Among Mexican Immigrants
(Springer Nature, 2018-04) Pullen, Erin; Perry, Brea L.; Maupome, Gerardo; Periodontology, School of Dentistry
Compared to U.S. born Latinos, Mexican immigrants (MAs) have diminished health care access and face substantial barriers to accessing needed dental health services. However, little research has examined how MAs social networks shape their use of dental health services. Using data from 332 Mexican immigrants to the Midwest, this research examines the significance of individual and egocentric network characteristics on two measures of dental health service utilization. Findings reveal that network size, network dental service utilization, and the frequency with which MAs discuss acute problems with network ties, positively correspond to use of oral health services. Conversely, embeddedness in networks where ties hassle egos about dental issues and have low levels of dental health knowledge correspond to lower odds of using these services. This research is among the first to use ego network data and methods to examine the ways network characteristics shape oral health behaviors among this underserved population.
Gender-specific gene-environment interaction in alcohol dependence: the impact of daily life events and GABRA2
(Springer, 2013-09) Perry, Brea L.; Pescosolido, Bernice A.; Bucholz, Kathleen; Edenberg, Howard; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Schuckit, Marc Alan; Nurnberger Jr., John I.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IU School of Medicine
Gender-moderated gene-environment interactions are rarely explored, raising concerns about inaccurate specification of etiological models and inferential errors. The current study examined the influence of gender, negative and positive daily life events, and GABRA2 genotype (SNP rs279871) on alcohol dependence, testing two- and three-way interactions between these variables using multi-level regression models fit to data from 2,281 White participants in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Significant direct effects of variables of interest were identified, as well as gender-specific moderation of genetic risk on this SNP by social experiences. Higher levels of positive life events were protective for men with the high-risk genotype, but not among men with the low-risk genotype or women, regardless of genotype. Our findings support the disinhibition theory of alcohol dependence, suggesting that gender differences in social norms, constraints and opportunities, and behavioral undercontrol may explain men and women's distinct patterns of association.
Pandemic precarity: COVID-19's impact on Mexican and Central American immigrant families
(Wiley, 2023) García, Melissa J.; Brooks, Caroline V.; Ambriz, Denise; Ekl, Emily A.; Smith, Nicholas C.; Maupomé, Gerardo; Perry, Brea L.
Objective: This study examines the association of gender, parenthood, and marriage with reports of perceived pandemic precarity among Mexican and Central American immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic (Fall 2020) to understand predictors of vulnerability in periods of crisis. Background: Latinos/as, immigrants, parents, and women have faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family structure, along with social expectations for gender (i.e., self-sacrificing femininity for women and hegemonic masculinity for men), parenthood, and marriage may explain perceptions of pandemic precarity—defined as the material deprivation and economic anxiety resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This study used data from the Hispanic COVID-19 Rapid Response Study (n = 400), a follow-up of the VidaSana Study of Mexican and Central American immigrants, to examine how family structure is associated with pandemic precarity (i.e., food, housing, and economic insecurity). Using linear regression models, average marginal effects (AMEs), and tests for group differences, we investigate the independent and interactive effects of gender, parenthood, and marriage on pandemic precarity. Results: Men and parents reported the highest pandemic precarity. Fathers reported higher pandemic precarity than mothers. For men, marriage is associated with greater precarity, and for women, marriage is associated with less precarity, yet marriage increased precarity for those without children. Conclusion: We discuss the importance and implications of examining gender along with family structure to understand how immigrant families were faring in response to the pandemic.
Psychological and behavioral acculturation in a social network of Mexican Americans in the United States and use of dental services
(Wiley, 2016-12) Maupome, Gerardo; McConnell, William R.; Perry, Brea L.; Mariño, Rodrigo; Wright, Eric R.; Department of Cariology, Operative Dentistry and Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry
Objectives We used data from the TalaSurvey study to examine associations between dental health experiences, social network characteristics, and levels of behavioral and psychological acculturation in one location in the American Midwest. Methods Starting in parishes and community organizations, we identified adults of Mexican origin living in Indianapolis, who were 1st- or 2nd-generation immigrants from Tala, Mexico. Using a social networks methodology and following extensive formative research, we created an egocentric social network survey and administered it via face-to-face interviews. We identified the peers (alters) in interviewees’ (egos) personal networks. We asked egos about multiple oral health and dental care variables for self and for alters. Acculturation (psychological and behavioral) was measured with a validated tool. Through logistic and negative binomial regression, we examined the effects of acculturation and network composition on ego's dental insurance status, dental office visits, and the reason for most recent dental office visit. Results A total of 332 egos (mean age 36; 63% female) were interviewed: 90% were born in Mexico; 45% had completed elementary school or lower; and most had low income. Each ego named 3.9 (SD±1.9) alters in his/her personal network, for a total of 1299 alters (mean age 39; 61% female). Both behavioral acculturation and psychological acculturation were moderately associated with dental insurance coverage, and greater behavioral acculturation predicted more frequent dental care. More psychologically acculturated egos were more likely to seek preventive care. Further, egos with more highly educated networks sought care more frequently and for preventive purposes, net of ego's own education and acculturation. Conclusions This study contextualizes acculturation of Mexican Americans within the personal networks in which oral health discussion takes place. The findings underscore the critical importance of acculturation and social network factors in shaping a subgroup of Latinos’ orientation toward dental care.
Social Enrichment on the Job: Complex Work with People Improves Episodic Memory, Promotes Brain Reserve, and Reduces the Risk of Dementia
(Wiley, 2023) Coleman, Max E.; Roessler, Meghan E. H.; Peng, Siyun; Roth, Adam R.; Risacher, Shannon L.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Perry, Brea L.; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
Individuals with more complex jobs experience better cognitive function in old age and a lower risk of dementia, yet complexity has multiple dimensions. Drawing on the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease study, we examine the association between occupational complexity and cognition in a sample of older adults (N = 355). A standard deviation (SD) increase in complex work with people is associated with a 9% to 12% reduction in the probability of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, a 0.14-0.19 SD increase in episodic memory, and a 0.18-0.25 SD increase in brain reserve, defined as the gap (residual) between global cognitive function and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicators of brain atrophy. In contrast, complexity with data or things is rarely associated with cognitive outcomes. We discuss the clinical and methodological implications of these findings, including the need to complement data-centered activities (e.g., Sudoku puzzles) with person-centered interventions that increase social complexity.
Social Networks and Cognitive Function: An Evaluation of Social Bridging and Bonding Mechanisms
(Oxford University Press, 2022) Perry, Brea L.; McConnell, William R.; Peng, Siyun; Roth, Adam R.; Coleman, Max; Manchella, Mohit; Roessler, Meghann; Francis, Heather; Sheean, Hope; Apostolova, Liana A.; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
Background and objectives: Social connectedness has been linked prospectively to cognitive aging, but there is little agreement about the social mechanisms driving this relationship. This study evaluated 9 measures of social connectedness, focusing on 2 forms of social enrichment-access to an expansive and diverse set of loosely connected individuals (i.e., social bridging) and integration in a supportive network of close ties (i.e., social bonding). Research design and methods: This study used egocentric network and cognitive data from 311 older adults in the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease study. Linear regressions were used to estimate the association between social connectedness and global cognitive function, episodic memory, and executive function. Results: Measures indicative of social bridging (larger network size, lower density, presence of weak ties, and proportion of non-kin) were consistently associated with better cognitive outcomes, while measures of social bonding (close ties, multiplex support, higher frequency of contact, better relationship quality, and being married) largely produced null effects. Discussion and implications: These findings suggest that the protective benefits of social connectedness for cognitive function and memory may operate primarily through a cognitive reserve mechanism that is driven by irregular contact with a larger and more diverse group of peripheral others.
Social Networks and Cognitive Reserve: Network Structure Moderates the Association Between Amygdalar Volume and Cognitive Outcomes
(Oxford University Press, 2022) Perry, Brea L.; Roth, Adam R.; Peng, Siyun; Risacher, Shannon L.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Apostolova, Liana G.; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
Objectives: The cognitive reserve hypothesis has been proposed as a key mechanism explaining the link between social networks and cognitive function but has rarely been empirically tested using neuroimaging data. This study examines whether social network attributes moderate the association between amygdalar volume and cognitive function. Methods: Data were from the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease study (N = 154) and Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Social networks were measured using the PhenX Social Network Battery. Regional data from magnetic resonance imaging (amygdalar volume [AV]) were analyzed using FreeSurfer software. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and consensus diagnosis. Linear regression analyses were conducted to test the moderating role of social networks on the association between AV and cognitive function. Results: Participants with greater ability to span multiple social roles and subgroups within their networks scored higher on the MoCA after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, depression, frequency of contact, and AV. Social networks moderated the association between AV and cognitive function. Discussion: Among participants who engaged in diverse and loosely connected social networks, the expected adverse cognitive effects of brain volume in regions implicated in socioemotional processing were attenuated. These findings suggest that cognitive stimulation achieved through social interaction with a diverse array of social relationships across multiple contexts may help promote cognitive reserve.

Browsing by Author "Perry, Brea L."

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