The Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative (DAC) Egypt Cohort (DAC-Egypt) is a newly established longitudinal study of cognitive aging in a community-based convenience sample of older Egyptian adults. The cohort's purpose is to characterize trajectories of cognitive decline and dementia risk factors in an understudied population, filling a critical gap in aging research in the Middle East. Participants (n = 1,530) aged 55 and above were recruited via regionally diverse convenience sampling, with detailed baseline data collected on demographics, health status, lifestyle, and cognitive function. Cognitive assessments included both traditional neuropsychological testing and innovative digital tools (digital voice/speech & olfactory-sensory assessments) to enable comprehensive monitoring. Key preliminary findings indicated a high prevalence of chronic diseases and notable socioeconomic disparities in cognitive performance among older Egyptians. Blood samples were collected from 98% of participants, and dried blood spot (DBS) cards were obtained for 88% of participants to facilitate future biomarker and genetic research. This study seeks to enrich the scientific field of dementia and Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) for early detection and intervention strategies for cognitive health in aging populations.
Moustafa et al. (Mon,) studied this question.