Equity in the Measurement of Cognitive Function across Ethnicity, Gender, and Education for the Detection of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Nepal

This project strengthens the tools available to detect Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Nepal, where cases are rising rapidly alongside an aging population but validated cognitive assessment instruments are lacking. Building on the Chitwan Valley Family Study on Cognition and Aging in Nepal and its Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol data, the team examines how cognitive measures perform across differences in ethnicity, gender and education, so that detection is equitable rather than biased by social and linguistic factors. The collaboration links Michigan expertise in cultural neuropsychology and measurement with the Institute for Social and Environmental Research-Nepal, which provides the data and local infrastructure. Working with Nepali collaborators, the team co-creates a dissemination plan for local impact and sets the direction for the next stage of dementia research in Nepal.