2004 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant

The 10/66 Dementia Research Group is a consortium of scientists confronting inequities in dementia research, which are represented by estimates that only 10 percent of population-based studies have addressed the approximately 66 percent of the world population with dementia who live in developing countries. Sharing of research outcomes and education programs among participating researchers has contributed to dementia care advances in a number of developing nations.

This current study by Martin Prince, M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.Psych., and colleagues extends some programs developed and tested in various countries to Mexico, Peru and Argentina. Previous research has shown that in many Latin American countries dementia is perceived as a normal part of aging and that families rarely seek medical care for dementia. One phase of the current project will train home-visit health care workers to identify individuals who may have dementia. Although these workers focus predominantly on children’s health, they are well placed to provide this additional service.

A second phase of the project will involve the selection of 1,000 rural and 1,000 urban residents in each of the three countries for thorough assessments of memory and thinking skills and for assessments of the quality of care for people with dementia. The data will be used to make initial estimates of prevalence rates and to understand care services in these communities. This work will also be linked to the home-visit program to assess the ability of the trained workers to identify candidates for dementia diagnosis.

The final phase of this study will be the implementation and quality assessment of a program for training home-visit health workers to provide dementia and care education to families. The outcome of this research may suggest models for enhancing public services for dementia treatment and care in developing nations and particularly in Latin American countries.