Management Practice and Clinical Outcomes of Dementia in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review
Behavioural Neurology
Beyene, D. A., & Berha, A. B. (2023).
Behavioural Neurology, 2023, 2307443.
This systematic review investigates the effects of management and treatment strategies for dementia in individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa. This article summary only reports findings relevant to SLP practice.
Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
2000 to September 30, 2021
Randomized clinical trials and prospective cohort studies
8 (5 within SLP scope)
<div>The following findings were reported regarding management and treatment strategies for individuals living with dementia in Sub-Saharan Africa:</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333;">In two studies, cognitive stimulation therapy was associated with improvements in overall cognitive function.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333;">In one study, the International HIV Dementia Scale-HIV Cognitive Symptom Questionnaire (IHDS-HCSQ) was found to have excellent sensitivity and good specificity for individuals with HIV-associated dementia. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333;">In one study, the Identification and Intervention for Dementia in Elderly Africans (IDEA) cognitive screen performed well in for individuals with dementia in inpatient and outpatient settings. With administration by non-specialist healthcare workers, the IDEA had an inter-rater reliability correlation coefficient of 0.742–0.791 and inter-rater reliability correlation coefficient of at least 0.75.</span></li>
</ul>
<div><span style="color: #333333;">Due to an overall paucity of research and small sample sizes, further research is indicated.</span></div>
