Assessing Dementia in Resource-Poor Regions

Abstract

The numbers and proportions of elderly are increasing rapidly in developing countries, where prevalence of dementia is often high. Providing cost-effective services for dementia sufferers and their caregivers in these resource-poor regions poses numerous challenges; developing resources for diagnosis must be the first step. Capacity building for diagnosis involves training and education of healthcare providers, as well as the general public, development of infrastructure, and resolution of economic and ethical issues. Recent progress in some low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) provides evidence that partnerships between wealthy and resource-poor countries, and between developing countries, can improve diagnostic capabilities. Without the involvement of the mental health community of developed countries in such capacity-building programs, dementia in the developing world is a disaster waiting to happen.

Dementia Survey amongst Attendees of a Dementia Awareness Event in Karachi, Pakistan

“…This was also identified as a theme in another study addressing caregiver distress in families of dementia patients in Rawalpindi, Pakistan [20]. This is known to increase dependence, caregiver burden and mortality in general [21] and may be more difficult to manage in a resource poor setting such as Pakistan and other LMICs [22].…”

Oily Fish Intake and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Atahualpa Project

“…The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is growing at an alarming rate among older adults living in rural communities of many low-and middle-income countries [16]. Epidemiologic surveys assessing regional-specific modifiable risk factors are required to develop cost-effective strategies directed at reducing the burden of these new epidemics, and will lead to more informed decisions on the prioritization of existing resources which, in most of these regions, are already limited.…”

Influence of depression, anxiety and stress on cognitive performance in community‐dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador: Results of the Atahualpa Project

“…1 In addition, the contribution of psychiatric and neurological disorders to the total burden of illness has increased almost threefold in Latin America during the past few years. 3 Depression, anxiety and stress are extremely common functional disorders that interfere with quality of life, and might trigger or worsen a number of medical conditions that are detrimental to health. However, such assessment might be complicated by cross-cultural factors and illiteracy, which could make some of the most widely-used screening instruments non-reliable.…”

“…However, such assessment might be complicated by cross-cultural factors and illiteracy, which could make some of the most widely-used screening instruments non-reliable. 3 Depression, anxiety and stress are extremely common functional disorders that interfere with quality of life, and might trigger or worsen a number of medical conditions that are detrimental to health. The relationship between psychological distress, especially depression, and cognitive decline has been extensively evaluated in developed countries, 4 but the effects of this association have been less well studied in most middle-and lowincome countries.…”