Indigenous Australians are up to five times more likely to develop dementia than the wider population, according to new research which places them among the most at-risk in the world.
The Dementia in Australia report released in September revealed Indigenous people were on average developing dementia seven years earlier than the rest of Australia, aged 72.
The report highlighted the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment which has been used to diagnose and manage cognitive decline and dementia in Indigenous populations as an example of programs needed to address the issue.
Neuroscience Research Australia Aboriginal health and ageing group leader Kylie Radford said most current assessments had been developed through a western cultural lens.
"While some cognitive tests have stood the test of time, been well-validated cross-culturally, and are likely helpful in terms of assessment and diagnosis of dementia with Indigenous populations, there is also a need to reflect on what is most relevant in terms of Indigenous ways of knowing and being, which could mean developing completely new tools," she said.
"Having culturally sensitive tools is clearly very important, but these also need to be very sensitive in terms of being able to detect changes in cognitive functioning related to underlying brain injury or disease.
"This is critical in the context of dementia, where we need to identify it as early as possible to enable treatments and strategies to be put in place to slow the rate of cognitive decline and maintain independent functioning for as long as possible."
The report called for investment in preventative health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Trait Islanders.
Ms Radford said funds should be directed towards turning existing findings into public policy.
"We've learned already from local and global research about the potentially modifiable risk factors contributing to dementia," she said.
"We have a rapidly ageing population, so we need to act now to prevent or delay the onset of dementia as people grow older."
The report coincides with the release of a new study from the Healthy Ageing Research Team at James Cook University, which identified 11 risk factors accountable for more than half of dementia cases in First Nations people in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area.
"The most important dementia risk factors are already public health priorities in this population," lead researcher Fintan Thompson said.
"Risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking were important contributors."
- Story by James Italia-Prasad
