The LatAm-FINGERS study shows lifestyle interventions adapted across Latin American cultures, health systems and communities can improve memory, thinking and overall cognitive function in older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia. See the LatAm-FINGERS study results.

Dementia has been declared a public health priority by the World Health Organization (WHO)[1, 2], which has also prioritized research into dementia prevention. Risk reduction and prevention are pivotal in managing the dementia epidemic globally, and the sharing of data is vital to informing this process. World Wide FINGERS facilitates the use of data from several countries, creating a unique opportunity for rapid knowledge dissemination and implementation.

Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association World Wide FINGERS Network Funding Program (ALZ WW-FNFP).

ABOUT

The Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) trial is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) showing that it is possible to prevent cognitive decline using a multidomain lifestyle intervention among older at-risk individuals. The results from this trial led by Professor Miia Kivipelto and team highlighted the value of addressing multiple dementia risk factors as a strategy to protect brain health, promote overall health and functioning, and reduce the risk of developing new chronic diseases [3,4,5].

Prevention of cognitive impairment requires integrated approaches targeting risk factors shared by chronic disorders common in older age. This is the definition of accessible and sustainable strategies for populations within different geographical, economic and cultural settings.

WW-FINGERS was established to support and convene global multidomain dementia prevention trials, share experiences and data, and harmonize methods. Professor Kivipelto is the founder and scientific lead of the WW-FINGERS Network, which includes investigator teams from around the world.

Investigating teams will test the effects of multidomain lifestyle interventions, modeled after FINGER, on brain health and dementia prevention in diverse populations.

The WW-FINGERS Network comprises studies at different stages of implementation and with varying graduations of alignment to the FINGER trial. For instance, in the United States through the Alzheimer’s Association, the intervention and outcomes assessment of the U.S. POINTER study are harmonized with FINGER. To help classify and understand the status of the WW-FINGERS trials, the network has agreed on the definition of four main levels, which reflect the trials’ key features, including current status (e.g., from RCTs still in the planning stage to those in which follow up of participants is available); funding availability; and degree of alignment with the FINGER RCT, in terms of design, intervention being tested and assessment of cognitive outcomes (Figure 1). Each study in the WW-FINGERS Network can be assigned to a level, and mobility among levels is expected.

Figure 1

Figure 1

Network Contacts

Maria Carrillo
Alzheimer’s Association

Francesca Mangialasche
Karolinska Institutet

Miia Kivipelto
Karolinska Institutet, University of Eastern Finland and Imperial College London

Emily Meyers
Alzheimer’s Association

Heather Snyder
Alzheimer’s Association

REFERENCES

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia: WHO guidelines; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2019.
  2. World Health Organization (WHO). Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025. WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2017.
  3. Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, et al. A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2015 June; 385 (9984): 2255-2263.
  4. Kivipelto M, Solomon A, Ahtiluoto S, et al. The Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER): study design and progress. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2013 Nov; 9(6):657-65.
  5. Rosenberg A, Ngandu T, Rusanen M, et al. Multidomain lifestyle intervention benefits a large elderly population at risk for cognitive decline and dementia regardless of baseline characteristics: The FINGER trial. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2018 Mar;14(3):263-270.
  6. Baker LD, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, et al. Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The US POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025 Aug 26;334(8):681-691. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.12923.
  7. Lehtisalo J, Sääskilahti M, Härkänen T, et al. Changes in older persons' lifestyle and perceived health over time and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the extended follow-up of the FINGER randomized controlled trial from 2009 to 2020. BMC Geriatr. 2025;25(1). doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-05979-6.
  8. Crivelli L, Suemoto C, Sosa A, et al. Multidomain lifestyle intervention for the prevention of cognitive decline in at-risk older adults in Latin America (LatAm-FINGERS): a single-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2026 Jul 12. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01278-X.
  9. Baker LD, Espeland MA, Whitmer RA, et al. Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The US POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025;334(8):681-691. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.12923.