A cultural approach to dementia — insights from US Latino and other minoritized groups

• Published in: Nature reviews. Neurology Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 307 - 314
• Main Authors: Vila-Castelar, Clara, Fox-Fuller, Joshua T., Guzmán-Vélez, Edmarie, Schoemaker, Dorothee, Quiroz, Yakeel T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.05.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/617/375/132/1283; 692/699/375/365; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - therapy; Dementia; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Perspective
• ISSN: 1759-4758; 1759-4766; 1759-4766
• DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00630-z

Alzheimer disease and related dementias present considerable challenges to health-care and medical systems worldwide. In the USA, older Black and Latino individuals are more likely than older white individuals to have Alzheimer disease and related dementias. In this Perspective, we leverage our experience and expertise with older US Latino groups to review and discuss the need to integrate cultural factors into dementia research and care. We examine the importance of considering the effects of cultural factors on clinical presentation and diagnosis, dementia risk, clinical research and recruitment, and caregiving practices, with a focus on minoritized groups in the USA. We highlight critical gaps in the literature to stimulate future research aimed at improving the prevention and early detection of Alzheimer disease and related dementias and developing novel treatments and interventions across ethnoracially diverse populations. In addition, we briefly discuss some of our own initiatives to promote research and clinical care among Latino populations living in the USA. This Perspective highlights the importance of integrating cultural factors into dementia research and care. Focusing on minoritized groups in the USA, the authors explore the effects of culture on clinical evaluation, dementia risk, research and study recruitment, and caregiving practices.