Research and clinical trials in dementia have grown significantly, deepening our understanding of the disease and advancing treatment possibilities. However, much of this research has focused on European and U.S. populations, creating a gap in global representation. This lack of diversity limits the generalization of findings to populations with distinct genetic and environmental factors, such as those in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Key Challenges in Latin America

Latin America has a high prevalence of dementia, influenced by factors like genetics, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cardiometabolic conditions, and social determinants such as socioeconomic status (SES). Despite this, the region remains underrepresented in global dementia research. The lack of diversity in clinical trials weakens the global applicability of these findings and may hide potential adverse effects of treatments by not including diverse populations. Importantly, there is growing interest in incorporating Latin American populations into global dementia trials, which would provide a better reflection of the region's diversity.

Additionally, LAC faces challenges such as inadequate funding, insufficient infrastructure, and limited capacity-building initiatives. These obstacles hinder the ability to conduct large-scale research and clinical trials and limit the use of advanced diagnostic tools, such as biomarkers. Cost-effective, non-invasive diagnostics like blood-based biomarkers are particularly needed in Latin America, where access to expensive technologies such as PET scans or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses remains limited. These barriers slow the region’s ability to contribute meaningfully to global dementia research.

Growing Potential in Research

Despite these challenges, Latin America holds great potential for dementia research. Thanks to initiatives like the BrainLat Institute, ReDLat Consortium, LAC-CD, LatAm-FINGERS, and Include Network, the region is witnessing an increase in research output. These collaborations foster international cooperation, leading to the establishment of new research centers, increased publications in high-impact journals, and more projects securing funding.

Diversity in research and clinical trials is crucial to understanding the full scope of dementia. Including underrepresented populations is essential to improve the accuracy of scientific models and ensure findings benefit all communities. By increasing representation in dementia studies, Latin America’s unique genetic and environmental factors can provide invaluable data for developing more effective, personalized treatments on a global scale.

Conclusion

While Latin America faces significant challenges in dementia research—such as underfunding, infrastructure gaps, and underrepresentation in global studies—it has enormous potential. By boosting collaboration, enhancing capacity-building efforts, and increasing representation in clinical trials, Latin America can become a key player in global dementia research. Incorporating the region’s diverse populations into studies will yield new insights that not only benefit local communities but also shape global dementia care and treatment approaches.

Dr Claudia Duran-Anitoz is the co-director of the Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat) at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile

  • November 2024

    A high-level virtual roundtable on dementia research and clinical trials in Latin America and the Caribbean. There will be opening presentations from Professor Ricardo Nitrini Professor of Neurology of the University of São Paulo and Dr Sylvia Josephy Hernandez, Department of Neurology CCSS Costa Rica followed by a roundtable discussion. The discussion will be chaired by Dr Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Assistant Professor, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile. 

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