2023 Sex and Gender in Alzheimer’s (SAGA) Grant (SAGA)
FemBER-AFRICA: Female Brain Health and Endocrine Research in Africans
What are the risk factors for Alzheimer’s in an African population?
Chinedu Theresa Udeh-Momoh, Ph.D.
The Aga Khan University-Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Background
A complex mix of genetic and environmental factors influence the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, including race and socioeconomic status. However, most Alzheimer’s research is conducted in predominantly white, high-income populations. It is unclear if the results of this research are applicable to the nearly two-thirds of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia who live in low- and middle-income countries, such as many African countries. Risk factors for Alzheimer’s such as female sex, certain genes, biological markers (biomarkers) from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, the biological fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord), plaques detected by retinal imaging (eye scan), health/lifestyle-related factors (such as like smoking), and performance on cognitive tests, have not been confirmed to also apply to an African population.
Research Plan
Dr. Udeh-Momoh will recruit 250 individuals native to Kenya and over the age of 35. All 250 individuals will undergo eye scans and tests of blood, saliva, and hair to look for Alzheimer’s-related biological indicators and genes. 60 of the individuals, half which will have Alzheimer’s related biomarkers , will undergo brain scans and CSF tests for indicators of Alzheimer’s. As part of the study, they will also determine the feasibility of using these tests in an African population.
The FemBER-AFRICA project is a partnership between Kenya, UK, European and USA collaborators that brings together a multi-disciplinary team of experts in dementia. Similar studies will be done with US and UK participants for comparison to the African population.
Impact
The results of this study may help understand risk factors for Alzheimer’s in an African population and the feasibility of conducting these tests in this region.