Circulating Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: Unlocking the Diagnostic Potential in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Focusing on Africa.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is emerging as a significant public health challenge in Africa, with predictions indicating a tripling in incidence by 2050. The diagnosis of AD on the African continent is notably difficult, leading to late detection that severely limits treatment options and significantly impacts the quality of life for patients and their families. This review focuses on the potential of high-sensitivity specific blood biomarkers as promising tools for improving AD diagnosis and management globally, particularly in Africa. These advances are particularly pertinent in the continent, where access to medical and technical resources is often limited. Identifying precise, sensitive, and specific blood biomarkers could contribute to the biological characterization and management of AD in Africa. Such advances promise to improve patient care and pave the way for new regional opportunities in pharmaceutical research and drug trials on the continent for AD

Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management

Research outputs produced to support a quantitative population survey, quantitative health facility survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews performed by the projec

Dementia Prevalence and Onchocerca volvulus Infection among Rural Elderly Persons in the Ntui Health District, Cameroon: A Population-Based Study

Recent research suggests that infection with Onchocerca volvulus induces neurocognitive decline. This study sought to compare the cognitive outcomes of elderly persons based on onchocerciasis infection status and report the overall prevalence of dementia in the rural Ntui Health District in Cameroon. A community-based approach was used to recruit 103 participants aged ≥60 years. Dementia screening was done using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID) tool with a cut-off value of ≤29.5. O. volvulus infection was determined via microscopic examination of skin snips and serological testing of Ov16 antibodies using rapid diagnostic tests. Overall, the prevalence of dementia was 10.7%. Among the tested individuals, 17.9% (15/84) and 62.1% (41/66) were positive for O. volvulus and Ov16 antibodies, respectively. A multivariable linear regression model of CSID scores found a significant positive association with education level (8.654; 95% CI: 2.0870 to 15.222). However, having a positive skin snip for O. volvulus (−3.399; 95% CI: −6.805 to 0.007) and inhaling tobacco (−5.441; 95% CI: −9.137 to −1.744) tended to lower the CSID scores. Ongoing onchocerciasis transmission in the Ntui Health District may constitute a risk factor for dementia. Strengthening onchocerciasis elimination and adopting healthier lifestyles would contribute to dementia prevention among the elderly residing in endemic communities

Challenges and recent progress in drug discovery for tropical diseases

Infectious tropical diseases have a huge effect in terms of mortality and morbidity, and impose a heavy economic burden on affected countries. These diseases predominantly affect the world’s poorest people. Currently available drugs are inadequate for the majority of these diseases, and there is an urgent need for new treatments. This Review discusses some of the challenges involved in developing new drugs to treat these diseases and highlights recent progress. While there have been notable successes, there is still a long way to go.</p

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality for Stroke in Douala, Cameroon

Background. The objective of this study was to describe complications in hospitalized patients for stroke and to determine the predictive factors of intrahospital mortality from stroke at the Douala General Hospital (DGH) in Cameroon. Patients and Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012, at the DGH. All the patients who were aged more than 15 years with established diagnosis of stroke were included. A univariate analysis was done to look for factors associated with the risk of death, whilst the predictive factors of death were determined in a multivariate analysis following Cox regression model. Results. Of the 325 patients included patients, 68.1% were males and the mean age was 58.66 ± 13.6 years. Ischaemic stroke accounted for 52% of the cases. Sepsis was the leading complications present in 99 (30.12%) cases. Independent predicting factors of in-hospital mortality were Glasgow Coma Scale lower than 8 (HR = 2.17 95% CI 4.86–36.8; P = 0.0001), hyperglycaemia at admission (HR = 3.61 95% CI 1.38–9.44; P = 0.009), and hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 5.65 95% CI 1.77–18; P = 0.003). Conclusion. The clinician should systematically diagnose and treat infectious states and hyperglycaemia in stroke

The African Initiative for Bioinformatics Online Training in Neurodegenerative Diseases (AI‐BOND): Investing in the next generation of African neuroscientists

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer\u27s disease and AD‐related dementias (AD/ADRD), pose significant challenges to health care systems globally, particularly in Africa. With the advances in medical technology and research capabilities, especially in next‐generation sequencing and imaging, vast amounts of data have been generated from AD/ADRD research. Given that the greatest increase in AD/ADRD prevalence is expected to occur in Africa, it is critical to establish comprehensive bioinformatics training programs to help African scientists leverage existing data and collect additional information to untangle AD/ADRD heterogeneity in African populations. The South Texas Alzheimer\u27s Disease Research Center, with efforts from the National Institutes of Health and the Global Brain Health Institute, has partnered with the Brain Research Africa Initiative to develop the African Initiative on Bioinformatics Online Training in Neurodegenerative Disease (AI‐BOND). AI‐BOND is a comprehensive and accessible training program, the aim of which is to advance biostatistics and bioinformatics expertise in Africa in studying neurodegenerative diseases. This expertise is essential to enable African scientists to utilize the extensive AD/ADRD data and enhance the continent\u27s ability to contribute to global research efforts in this field. The training addresses the gap in analyzing neurodegenerative disease data by providing skills and knowledge in genetic epidemiology, biostatistics, and bioinformatics to African students and researchers. This innovative online training program will last 6 months and provide training in skill sets R, SAS, and Python programing, genome‐wide association studies, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiome analysis, and advanced statistical methods. Additional training will include study design and manuscript and grant writing. The first cohort of the AI‐BOND program will graduate in June 2024. The AI‐BOND program is expected to build research computational capacities in Africa that will improve the ability of graduates to conduct and utilize large‐scale studies, with the goal of curbing the growing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases in Africa

Validity of the International HIV Dementia Scale in Brazil

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. Tests to detect HAND are needed for early diagnosis and treatment. Validity of International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) has been determined in different countries. The aims of this study were validate IHDS in a Brazilian cohort of HIV-patients and verify if IHDS can be reliably administered by a non-clinician health professional. One hundred and eighty-seven (187) patients were submitted to a full neuropsychological assessment. IHDS was administered twice to each patient (by a non-clinician and by a neurologist). HAND was diagnosed in 98 individuals (68 on HAART). IHDS had sensitivity of 55% and specificity of 80%. IHDS had fair agreement with neuropsychological tests (k 0.355) and moderate-to-strong agreement between different evaluators (interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.684). HAND is prevalent nowadays. IHDS is quick and easy to administer, but has marginal sensitivity for the detection of HIV cognitive impairment other than dementia

Dementia and cognitive impairment in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa: a comprehensive review on moving out of the shadows of neglect

Dementia is a global public health problem with increasing prevalence and incidence worldwide. The African continent is expected to bear the biggest brunt of the burden of dementia by 2050 because of the rapid demographic changes, including rapid population growth, an increase in life expectancy, and ageing. However, French-speaking Sub-Saharan African (FS-SSA) countries are underrepresented in research on dementia in Africa. While the reasons are diverse and complex, linguistic and cultural barriers to research, disproportionately affect these countries and may be significant factors. Any efforts, therefore, to redress the burden of dementia in Africa must consider the specific demographic, cultural, and linguistic characteristics of FS-SSA countries. This scoping review explores the current state of knowledge in dementia and cognitive impairment in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting research gaps and specific patterns unique to FS-SSA Africa. We identify pathways for research to bridge the knowledge gaps on dementia in FS-SSA as part of the global endeavor to tackle dementia worldwide

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in sub-Saharan Africa: a pilot study in Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The disease burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is highest in sub-Saharan Africa but there are few studies on the associated neurocognitive disorders in this region. The objectives of this study were to determine whether Western neuropsychological (NP) methods are appropriate for use in Cameroon, and to evaluate cognitive function in a sample of HIV-infected adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used a battery of 19 NP measures in a cross-sectional study with 44 HIV+ adults and 44 demographically matched HIV- controls, to explore the validity of these NP measures in Cameroon, and evaluate the effect of viral infection on seven cognitive ability domains.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this pilot study, the global mean z-score on the NP battery showed worse overall cognition in the HIV+ individuals. Significantly lower performance was seen in the HIV+ sample on tests of executive function, speed of information processing, working memory, and psychomotor speed. HIV+ participants with AIDS performed worse than those with less advanced HIV disease.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Similar to findings in Western cohorts, our results in Cameroon suggest that HIV infection, particularly in advanced stages, is associated with worse performance on standardized, Western neurocognitive tests. The tests used here appear to be promising for studying NeuroAIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.</p