The Caribbean American Dementia and Aging Study (CADAS) seeks to expand understanding of the lifecourse determinants and consequences of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in Caribbean-origin populations.

We are collecting new nationally representative household survey data among adults ages 65+ in Puerto Rico (n=1500) and Dominican Republic (n=1500) to estimate the prevalence of dementia and to capture the variation in lifecourse exposures to AD/ADRD risk factors, as well as family and societal effects of dementia.

We build on previous research by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group that indicates a remarkably high dementia prevalence of 10-12% among metro-dwelling adults aged 65+ in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba, whose similar histories but richly varying societal structures over the past century offer great promise for better understanding AD/ADRD. These Hispanic Caribbean sites are also the origin of the vast majority of Caribbean immigrants to the U.S., and we will also compare experiences in sending countries with experiences among U.S. immigrants. Our surveys are designed for cross-harmonization with both past 10/66 surveys as well as the global network of recent surveys using the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol, including the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.