Next generation brain health: transforming global research and public health to promote prevention of dementia and reduce its risk in young adult populations.

Efforts to prevent dementia can benefit from precision interventions delivered to the right population at the right time; that is, when the potential to reduce risk is the highest. Young adults (aged 18-39 years) are a neglected population in dementia research and policy making despite being highly exposed to several known modifiable risk factors. The risk and protective factors that have the biggest effect on dementia outcomes in young adulthood, and how these associations differ across regions and groups, still remain unclear.

The Brain Health Diplomat's Toolkit: supporting brain health diplomacy leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Maintaining and improving brain health, one of the most critical global challenges of this century, necessitates innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative strategies to address the growing challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper introduces Brain Health Diplomacy (BHD) as a pioneering approach to bridge disciplinary and geographic boundaries and mobilize resources to promote equitable brain health outcomes in the region. Our framework provides a toolkit for emerging brain health leaders, equipping them with essential concepts and practical resources to apply in their professional work and collaborations.

Biomarkers for dementia in Latin American countries: Gaps and opportunities.

Limited knowledge on dementia biomarkers in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries remains a serious barrier. Here, we reported a survey to explore the ongoing work, needs, interests, potential barriers, and opportunities for future studies related to biomarkers. The results show that neuroimaging is the most used biomarker (73%), followed by genetic studies (40%), peripheral fluids biomarkers (31%), and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (29%).

Facilitators and Barriers to Dementia Assessment and Diagnosis: Perspectives From Dementia Experts Within a Global Health Context.

Objectives: Dementia poses one of the greatest global health challenges, affecting 50 million people worldwide. With 10 million new cases each year, dementia is a growing burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This study aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to providing quality dementia assessment and care in LMICs from a global health perspective.

Thyroid Dysfunction, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid Deficiencies Are Not Associated With Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults in Lima, Peru.

Reversible etiologies of cognitive impairment are common and treatable, yet the majority of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia research in Latin America has focused on irreversible, neurodegenerative etiologies. We sought to determine if thyroid dysfunction and vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies are associated with cognitive disorders among older adults with memory complaints in Lima, Peru. This was a retrospective review of patients who presented for cognitive evaluations to a multidisciplinary neurology clinic in Lima, Peru from January 2014 to February 2020.

Performance of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale for the Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in a Diverse Cohort of Illiterate Persons From Rural Communities in Peru.

The accurate diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders in illiterate Peruvian populations is challenging, largely owing to scarcity of brief cognitive screening tools (BCST) validated in these diverse populations. The Peruvian version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS-PE) is a BCST that relies minimally on educational attainment and has shown good diagnostic accuracy in an urban illiterate population in Peru, yet its psychometric properties in illiterate populations in rural settings of the country have not been previously investigated. To establish the diagnostic accuracy of the RUDAS-PE compared to expert clinical diagnosis using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale in healthy and cognitively impaired illiterate persons living in two culturally and geographically distinct rural communities of Peru.

Global Perspectives on Brief Cognitive Assessments for Dementia Diagnosis.

Background: Timely diagnosis of dementia is a global healthcare priority, particularly in low to middle income countries where rapid increases in older adult populations are expected.

Objective: To investigate global perspectives on the role of brief cognitive assessments (BCAs) in dementia diagnosis, strengths and limitations of existing measures, and future directions and needs.

Methods: This is a qualitative study of 18 dementia experts from different areas of the world.

The Multi-Partner Consortium to Expand Dementia Research in Latin America (ReDLat): Driving Multicentric Research and Implementation Science.

Dementia is becoming increasingly prevalent in Latin America, contrasting with stable or declining rates in North America and Europe. This scenario places unprecedented clinical, social, and economic burden upon patients, families, and health systems. The challenges prove particularly pressing for conditions with highly specific diagnostic and management demands, such as frontotemporal dementia.

The impact of SARS-CoV-2 in dementia across Latin America: A call for an urgent regional plan and coordinated response.

The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic will disproportionately impact countries with weak economies and vulnerable populations including people with dementia. Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) are burdened with unstable economic development, fragile health systems, massive economic disparities, and a high prevalence of dementia. Here, we underscore the selective impact of SARS-CoV-2 on dementia among LACs, the specific strain on health systems devoted to dementia, and the subsequent effect of increasing inequalities among those with dementia in the region.

Validation of the RUDAS for the Identification of Dementia in Illiterate and Low-Educated Older Adults in Lima, Peru.

To evaluate the performance of the Peruvian version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS-PE) in discriminating between controls and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in an illiterate population with low-levels of education. We compared the cognitive performance of 187 elderly subjects who were illiterate (controls = 60; MCI = 64; dementia = 63). Neuropsychological measures included the RUDAS-PE, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), INECO Frontal Screening (IFS), and Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (PFAQ).