Theme 1

Dementia risk reduction, prevention and diagnosis

There is increasing evidence that prevention and management of vascular and other risk factors could delay progression to dementia, and that this may be of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where people experience high rates of multi-morbidity earlier life. To optimise brain health, wellbeing and ageing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, we need to better understand dementia risk, modifiable risk factors, prevention, and diagnostic approaches.

Theme 1 of the OnTRACK Dementia program aims to :

  1. Develop a national Indigenous dementia database
  2. Identify risk & protective factors for dementia & population attributable risk fraction
  3. Develop & validate a risk factor tool for cognitive impairment & dementia
  4. Develop a framework for biomarker & genomic research in dementia

There are several research projects currently being run under Theme 1's banner, including:

  • Identifying Risk and Protective Factors for Dementia using Harmonised Population Surveys
  • Developing a Potential Risk Factor Tool  for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
  • Yarning BRAIN (Biomarkers Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for Insights into Neurodegenerative disorders)
  • Developing a Framework for Culturally-safe Dementia Biomarker and Genetic Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples