School of Medicine Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-6-2024
Abstract
Recent research suggests that infection with Onchocerca volvulus induces neurocognitive decline. This study sought to compare the cognitive outcomes of elderly persons based on onchocerciasis infection status and report the overall prevalence of dementia in the rural Ntui Health District in Cameroon. A community-based approach was used to recruit 103 participants aged ≥60 years. Dementia screening was done using the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID) tool with a cut-off value of ≤29.5. O. volvulus infection was determined via microscopic examination of skin snips and serological testing of Ov16 antibodies using rapid diagnostic tests. Overall, the prevalence of dementia was 10.7%. Among the tested individuals, 17.9% (15/84) and 62.1% (41/66) were positive for O. volvulus and Ov16 antibodies, respectively. A multivariable linear regression model of CSID scores found a significant positive association with education level (8.654; 95% CI: 2.0870 to 15.222). However, having a positive skin snip for O. volvulus (−3.399; 95% CI: −6.805 to 0.007) and inhaling tobacco (−5.441; 95% CI: −9.137 to −1.744) tended to lower the CSID scores. Ongoing onchocerciasis transmission in the Ntui Health District may constitute a risk factor for dementia. Strengthening onchocerciasis elimination and adopting healthier lifestyles would contribute to dementia prevention among the elderly residing in endemic communities.
Recommended Citation
Njamnshi, W. Y., Siewe Fodjo, J. N., Njamnshi, K. G., Ngarka, L., Mengnjo, M. K., Nfor, L. N., ... & Njamnshi, A. K. (2024). Dementia Prevalence and Onchocerca volvulus Infection among Rural Elderly Persons in the Ntui Health District, Cameroon: A Population-Based Study. Pathogens, 13(7), 568. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13070568
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Pathogens
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13070568
Academic Level
faculty
Mentor/PI Department
Neuroscience
Comments
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).