Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: A Life Cycle Approach

This report is a review of the literature to-date on dementia in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. The literature review was conducted in light of data showing evidence of demographic changes in the Indigenous population toward population ageing, with additional exposures to multiple risk factors across the life span for cognitive decline and dementia. The main findings of the literature review are:

• that dementia prevalence amongst Indigenous Australians is almost five times the rate as that in the general population and that it presents at an earlier age; 
• that the perception of dementia differs across communities and situations, but may not be viewed as a medical condition; 
• that the social and health profile of Indigenous Australians show many of the risks associated with a greater chance of developing dementia in non-Indigenous populations; 
• that there are multiple and confounding risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia across the lifespan in this population and that many Indigenous Australian with dementia and their families experience problems accessing needed services, due to lack of transport and services adapted to local language, culture or circumstances. 

The Review was funded by the Primary Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, as a joint initiative of the ARC/NHMRC Ageing Well Network, the Primary Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, the Prince of Wales Medical Research Insititute (now known as Neuroscience Research Australia) and the Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit, UNSW.