Pilot of a New Cognitive Assessment Tool for Detecting Dementia in the Migrant Somali Population

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

Status

Completed

Conditions

Dementia

Treatments

Diagnostic Test: Manchester Somali Cognitive Assessment Tool

Diagnostic Test: ACE-III Somali Translation

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

x503s

Details and patient eligibility

About

Aims

The investigators want to find out if the tool that they have made to assess memory and thinking in Somali elders ( the 'MSCAT') is acceptable to that community and practical to administer and score.
The public will benefit from this research because it seeks to enhance reliability of diagnosis of dementia, thus access to support and treatment for people from an ethnic minority group experiencing memory problems.

Background

The investigators are a group of staff from the Memory Assessment Service in Manchester. There are currently no suitable tests for dementia for people from Somalia.
Research evidence tells us there are many reasons why the tools that used now are not working. This includes: differences in culture and ways of life that are very different to a British born person who has lived in the UK for all of their life.
Somali people find out at a later stage if they have dementia resulting in delayed treatment/support.
This research supports the government's promise to improve the pathway to a diagnosis of dementia for minority groups.

Design and methods

10 participants
The investigators will compare the assessment tool (MSCAT) that the team have developed to the Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination III tool that is typically used.
Participants will be seen at an agreed location (e.g. home, mosque or GMMH trust site). They will meet a Somali speaking researcher to do both tests on 2 appointments and discuss how they found the tests afterwards.
The investigators will check participants understanding of the research before they agree to take part. Verbal and written information will be provided.

Public involvement

The local Somali community helped advise on the creation of the new MSCAT assessment tool.
The investigators will write project information for participants in Somali and English.

Dissemination of results

• Professional conference presentations and publications

Enrollment

12 patients

Sex

All

Ages

50+ years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

The participants will all be Somali-born migrants, over the age of 50, living in the UK.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria will include the presence of dementia, current delirium, or inability to complete the tasks due to visual/hearing/physical impairment