Gross, A. L., Duhon, M., Ochieng, E., Ikanga, J. N., Dow, W. H., Lee, J., … & Miguel, E. A. (2025). Midlife cognitive testing in Africa: validity of the harmonised cognitive assessment protocol in the Kenya life panel survey. BMJ open, 15(8), e096619. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-096619

Cohort studies of ageing and cognitive decline typically do not begin fielding comprehensive cognitive assessments until older adulthood. However, for identifying preventable dementia risk factors, there is strong value in beginning at earlier ages. The case is especially compelling in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of older individuals is expected to triple in the next three decades, and where risk factors may operate more intensively at earlier ages. This study reports on the adaptation and validity of the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) approach in the Kenya Life Panel Survey (KLPS), collected among middle-aged respondents.