Cross-cultural functional assessment for dementia: A commentary
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Dementia diagnosis relies on assessing functional decline, yet widely used assessment tools are often developed in Euro-American contexts, limiting their cross-cultural validity. This commentary highlights key challenges in functional assessment across cultures and proposes a framework for enhancing their applicability and equity. We critically examine methodological limitations in current functional assessment tools, including poor cultural adaptability, inadequate validation processes, and limited stakeholder engagement. Drawing on existing literature, we propose a multidimensional framework integrating cultural perceptions, robust adaptation strategies, and participatory approaches to improve assessment relevance. Functional assessments must balance cultural specificity with broad applicability to ensure accurate dementia detection across diverse populations. Identifying transcultural markers of functional decline, engaging local communities, and systematically adapting tools through rigorous validation will enhance their diagnostic utility. A culturally inclusive approach to functional assessment can reduce disparities in dementia diagnosis and care worldwide.
Source: The Clinical Neuropsychologist
Institutions: University of Edinburgh, NHS Tayside, Erasmus MC, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, University of Cambridge, Universidad de Granada, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Université Clermont Auvergne, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, Leeds Beckett University, Stockholm University, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Karolinska Institutet, Sapienza University of Rome, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G2501976640, G2838651246, G7993187326
OpenAlex ID: W4413309302