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Can cognitive screening assessments be adapted to improve the diagnosis of dementia in older individuals in Nigeria?
Chukwuanugo Ogbuagu, Ph.D.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria
Nnewi, Nigeria
Background
In Nigeria, cognitive impairment is often accepted as part of normal aging and can lead to older individuals with dementia remaining undiagnosed or diagnosed at later stages. As the population of individuals aged 60 years and older begins to rise in rural Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need to develop culturally appropriate screening tools that could be used to identify individuals with early dementia in this region. However, standardized cognitive tests to diagnose dementia often do not consider the cultural and language needs across different cultures. Dr. Chukwuanugo Ogbuagu proposes a pilot study to adapt and validate the common cognitive assessment test, Tablet-based Cognitive Assessment Tool-Brain Health Assessment (TabCAT-BHA) to diagnose individuals with dementia in Nigeria.
Research Plan
Dr. Ogbuagu and colleagues will study the feasibility of the Nigerian-translated TabCAT-BHA cognitive screening assessment for mild cognitive impairment and dementia in a hospital setting. They will do this by first translating the assessment into Nigerian and including language that accounts for familiarity with electronic devices. The researchers will recruit and administer the cognitive screening assessment to 100 individuals aged 50 years and older to assess the accuracy of this method across a range of individuals.
Impact
If successful, this study could offer a novel screening tool for potentially improving and establishing consistent early diagnosis of dementia in older individuals across Nigeria.
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