Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Prevalence and Associated Factors in Indigenous Populations: A Systematic Review

In this study, a systematic review of the literature on the subject “cognitive impairment in indigenous elderly population” in the databases MEDLINE via PubMed, Lilacs, and Scopus showed that the prevalence of dementia in indigenous populations between 45 and 94 years old, originally from different countries, varied between 0.5% and 26.8% for age 60 and older, whereas the prevalence of cognitive impairment not dementia varied between 4.4% and 17.7%. Early onset of the disease, older age, low education level, and several poor health conditions were associated with prevalence rates and conversion from normal to any cognitive impairment. Cultural inadequacy of neuropsychological tests was the main factor reported in the selected studies, which makes the investigation of dementia a challenge in indigenous populations. These data reveal that the prevalence rates of dementia ranged from low to very high for those aged 60 years and older, with early onset of the disease and elevated mortality rate after initial diagnosis compared with the current global prevalence studies, suggesting that these individuals may be more vulnerable to cognitive disorders. Cognitive reserve and exposure to poor health status throughout life span may be considered in the interpretation of results.
Source: Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders - Category: Geriatrics Tags: Review Article Source Type: research