Mexican Teachers’ Cohort Cognitive Study: A pilot of home‐based assessments
Jocelyn Jaen, Adrian Cortés‐Valencia, Aaron Salinas Rodríguez, Betty Manrique‐Espinoza, Omar Yaxmehen Bello‐Chavolla, Brenda Martinez Tapia, Teresa Shamah Levy, Veronica Mundo‐Rosas, Ana Luisa Sosa Ortiz, Isaac Acosta Castillo, Liliana Gomez‐Flores‐Ramos, Melissa Lamar, David A Bennett, Francine Grodstein, Martin LajousAbstract
INTRODUCTION
Expanding research on aging and cognition in low‐ and middle‐income countries is critical, yet logistically complex. Large, established cohorts, such as the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort (MTC; >100,000 women), pose unique opportunities for neurocognitive research in Latin America.
METHODS
We evaluated the feasibility of home‐based cognitive assessments in 150 Mexico City MTC participants, equally distributed across ages 55 to 59, 60 to 64, and ≥65. Tests included immediate/delayed word list recall, forward/backward digit span, and semantic verbal fluency.
RESULTS
Over 3 weeks, 274 homes were approached; 186 participants (56%) were at the known addresses, and 153 (82%) participated. Participants (median age = 61; 53% college‐educated) demographically resembled non‐participants. Cognitive scores spanned a broad range, demonstrating no floor/ceiling effects (immediate recall: 3 to 10; delayed recall: 1 to 10; digits forward: 3 to 8; digits backwards: 0 to 6; semantic fluency: 6 to 38 animals).
DISCUSSION
Home cognitive assessments may be feasible for large established cohorts in Latin America. These studies are promising for aging research.