The Latin America and the Caribbean Consortium on Dementia (LAC-CD): from networking to research to implementation science
Author(s)
Ibanez, Agustin
Parra, Mario A
Butler, Christopher
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In comparison with other regions, dementia prevalence in Latin America is growing rapidly, along with the consequent clinical, social, and economic burden upon patients and their families. The combination of fragile health care systems, large social inequalities, and isolated clinical and research initiatives makes the coordination of efforts imperative. The Latin America and the Caribbean Consortium on Dementia (LAC-CD) is a regional organization overseeing and promoting clinical and research activities on dementia. Here, we first provide an overview of the consortium, highlighting the antecedents and current mission. Then, we present the consortium’s regional research, including the multi-partner consortium to expand dementia research in Latin America (ReDLat), which aims to identify the unique genetic, social, and economic factors that drive Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia presentation in LAC relative to the US. We describe an extension of ReDLat which aims to develop affordable markers of disease subtype and severity using high density EEG. We introduce current initiatives promoting regional diagnosis, visibility, and capacity, including the forthcoming launch of the Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat). We discuss LAC-CD-led advances in brain health diplomacy, including an assessment of responses to the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia and examining the knowledge of public policies among experts in the region. Finally, we present the current knowledge-to-action framework, which paves the way for a future regional action plan. Coordinated actions are crucial to forging strong regional bonds, supporting the implementation of regional dementia plans, improving health systems, and expanding research collaborations across Latin America.
Date Issued
2021-01-01
Date Acceptance
2020-12-03
Citation
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE, 2021, 82, pp.S379-S394
ISSN
1387-2877
Publisher
IOS Press
Start Page
S379
End Page
S394
Journal / Book Title
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
Volume
82
Copyright Statement
© 2021 – The authors. Published by IOS Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms
of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
License URL
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000667480300025&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Neurosciences
Neurosciences & Neurology
Dementia
genetics
implementation science
LAC-CD
Latin America
neurodegeneration
neuroimaging
regional health
social determinants of health
socioeconomic status
MEMORY BINDING DEFICITS
ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE
SOCIAL COGNITION
OLDER-PEOPLE
LOW-INCOME
CONNECTIVITY
VARIABILITY
ATTENTION
CARE
TIME
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-06-22