Research priorities for cognitive decline in India

Abstract

The elderly population with cognitive decline is increasing at an alarming rate in developing countries such as India. There is a paucity of basic clinical research in the field of cognitive decline dealing with areas of prevalence, etiology, diagnosis, and management. In India, prioritization of research capabilities is obligatory to decrease the research gap, i.e., the difference between the information needed to plan services and that which is available. The information can be gathered and utilized to frame policies and early remedial measures to tackle the emerging disease burden on the community. This article highlights the research done on cognitive decline so far and the further need for priority research on various important areas such as epidemiology, assessment methods and diagnosis, psychobehavioral symptoms, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and interventional studies to create an evidence base for our population.

Keywords

• Cognitive decline
• dementia
• mild cognitive impairment