Native America Calling: Tracking and addressing elder cognitive decline

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Wednesday, July 10, 2024

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Tracking and addressing elder cognitive decline

More than half of Native American elders from rural areas have some sort of cognitive impairment, a condition that ranges from mild memory loss all the way to dementia.

That’s the conclusion of a new, first-of-its-kind research by The Strong Heart Study over seven years. It focused on members of 11 tribes and included cognitive testing, neurological examinations and brain imaging.

The study points to high rates of vascular disease, diabetes and traumatic brain injury in Native populations as contributors. Join Native America Calling to hear about the study, advice for preventing and diagnosing cognitive impairments and programs aimed at helping elders experiencing symptoms.

A tribal member gets ready to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from staff worker with The Strong Heart Study. Photo courtesy National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute / National Institutes of Health[/caption]

Guests on Native America Calling

Dr. Lonnie Nelson (descendant of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), clinical psychologist and researcher

David Baldridge (Cherokee), co-founder and senior advisor of the International Association for Indigenous Aging

Breana Dorame (Gabrielino Tongva), tribal public health and senior associate with the International Association for Indigenous Aging