Breaking Barriers: Exploring blood-brain barrier function in a Black population at risk of dementia using advanced MRI.

Black adults in the UK develop dementia at rates 20% higher than the national average, yet the brain scans used to detect early signs have rarely been tested in this population. The problem is that dementia risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes are up to four times more common in Black communities, and these conditions damage the brain's blood vessels long before memory fails. This study will use advanced MRI to measure subtle leaks in the blood-brain barrier—a promising early biomarker for dementia—in Black adults in Greater Manchester and New York who have vascular risk factors but no cognitive decline. If the scans reliably detect pre-dementia changes, clinicians could eventually identify who is most at risk and intervene earlier with blood pressure control or diabetes management. The project also runs two interactive workshops on brain health, designed to build trust and improve the inclusion of Black participants in future neuroimaging studies—a group historically underrepresented in dementia research.