R01AG074079

International Labor Migration, Armed Conflict, and Dementia Risk in Nepal: A Population Study

The overall objective of this application is to lay the foundation for a sustainable program of population-based research into Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) in Nepal. To that end, the project seeks to initiate a series of research capacity-building activities and develop a new, population-based, longitudinal cohort study of ADRD and related age-associated chronic health conditions in this population.

Population aging is becoming increasingly more common in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). As a result, these countries face the growing burden of common age-associated chronic illnesses, including ADRD. Nepal is a low middle-income country where the population is now aging, putting a rising number of adults at risk of developing ADRD. There is virtually no research capacity in Nepal to investigate the scope and primary determinants of ADRD, and even the most basic information on ADRD is currently lacking. Such information is urgently needed to guide the development of prevention strategies and reduce the burden of ADRD in this country.

Capacity-building activities will focus on training in survey data collection methods with a primary focus on ascertainment of ADRD and statistical methods for the analysis of complex data from longitudinal panel surveys. The activities will consist of workshops with hands-on experience in the design and administration of cognitive assessments to identify ADRD in the general population, and in statistical analysis methods for longitudinal data from complex surveys.

The project will also begin a new, longitudinal cohort study of ADRD designed to fill substantial gaps in information on ADRD and its primary risk factors in Nepal. It will focus on two novel risk factors with particular salience to understand the burden of ADRD in Nepal. The first involves the role of international labor migration: a substantial portion of Nepali adults spend prolonged periods of adulthood working in other countries to earn income for their families, often in challenging situations. The second risk factor involves the long-term effects of exposure to armed conflict that has affected this population for 10 years (1996-2006). The impact of labor migration and armed conflict on ADRD risk is currently unknown.

The study will leverage the data collection infrastructure that has been developed for the Chitwan Valley Family Study, a population survey of over 10,000 participants aged 15-59 that started in 1996. The cohort is now aging, providing a unique opportunity to begin a new population study of ADRD and other chronic health conditions. The study will include the estimated 4,000 surviving participants who have now become age-eligible (over 50) for this study. This sample will be invited for a baseline interview, including a detailed cognitive assessment, and a follow-up interview two years later.

Outcomes from the capacity-building and research activities will be shared with relevant stakeholders and organizations in Nepal to inform local solutions and policies for the prevention and treatment of ADRD in this population. We anticipate that much of this work will have relevance for other low-resource, low-income countries that face similar circumstances and challenges as Nepal.

Georgetown University

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Washington, District Of Columbia 200570001 United States

Single Zip Code

Global Brain and Nervous System Disorders Research Across the Lifespan (R01 Clinical Trials Optional) (PAR-21-311)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 303% from $767,591 to $3,094,913.