Prevalence of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Indigenous Bolivian Forager-Horticulturalists

Authors

• Margaret Gatz, University of Southern California
• Wendy J. Mack, University of Southern California
• Helena C. Chui, University of Southern California
• E. Meng Law, Monash University
• Giuseppe Barisano, University of Southern California
• M. Linda Sutherland, MemorialCare Health Systems
• James D. Sutherland, MemorialCare Health Systems
• Daniel Eid Rodriguez, San Simon University
• Raul Quispe Gutierrez, Tsimane Health and Life History Project, Bolivia
• Juan Copajira Adrian, Tsimane Health and Life History Project, Bolivia
• Jesus Bani Cuata, Tsimane Health and Life History Project, Bolivia
• Amy R. Borenstein, University of California, San Diego
• Ellen E. Waters, University of Southern California
• Andrei Irimia, University of Southern California
• Christopher J. Rowan, Renown Institute for Heart and Vascular Health
• L. Samuel Wann, University of New Mexico
• Adel H. Allam, Al-Azhar University, Egypt
• Randall C. Thompson, St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute of Kansas City
• Michael I. Miyamoto, Providence Health
• David E. Michalik, Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach
• Daniel K. Cummings, Chapman University
• Edmond Seabright, University of New Mexico
• Angela R. Garcia, Arizona State University
• Paul L. Hooper, University of New Mexico
• Thomas S. Kraft, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Caleb E. Finch, University of Southern California
• Gregory S. Thomas, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Fountain Valley
• Jonathan Stieglitz, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse
• Benjamin C. Trumble, Arizona State University
• Michael D. Gurven, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Hillard Kaplan, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-9-2022

Abstract

Introduction

We evaluated the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in indigenous Tsimane and Moseten, who lead a subsistence lifestyle.

Methods

Participants from population-based samples ≥ 60 years of age (n = 623) were assessed using adapted versions of the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, informant interview, longitudinal cognitive testing and brain computed tomography (CT) scans.

Results

Tsimane exhibited five cases of dementia (among n = 435; crude prevalence = 1.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.4, 2.7); Moseten exhibited one case (among n = 169; crude prevalence = 0.6%, 95% CI: 0.0, 3.2), all age ≥ 80 years. Age-standardized MCI prevalence was 7.7% (95% CI: 5.2, 10.3) in Tsimane and 9.8% (95% CI: 4.9, 14.6) in Moseten. Cognitive impairment was associated with visuospatial impairments, parkinsonian symptoms, and vascular calcification in the basal ganglia.

Discussion

The prevalence of dementia in this cohort is among the lowest in the world. Widespread intracranial medial arterial calcifications suggest a previously unrecognized, non-Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia phenotype.

Comments

This article was originally published in Alzheimer's & Dementia in 2022. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12626

Recommended Citation

Gatz, M, Mack, WJ, Chui, HC, et al. Prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in indigenous Bolivian forager-horticulturalists. Alzheimer's Dement. 2022; 1- 12. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12626

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.