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Dementia in a resource‐constrained sub‐Saharan African setting: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of prevalence, risk factors, and management at the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria
Ibrahim Abdu Wakawa, Umar Baba Musami, Suleiman Hamidu Kwairanga, Placidus Nwankuba Ogualili, Mohammed Yusuf Mahmood, Muhammad Abba Fugu, Mohammed Mala Gimba, Muktar Mohammed Allamin et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-03-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Of the 1216 cases reported, Alzheimer's disease (60.5%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (24.5%). Hypertension (41.6%) was the most frequent comorbidity. Memory loss was present in all cases, whereas behavioral symptoms like agitation presented in some cases. Treatments included cognitive enhancers (donepezil), supplements (gingko biloba), and non-drug therapies (psychoeducation). The increasing burden of dementia at this sole facility highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions and further research to understand the underlying factors contributing to dementia in this population. HIGHLIGHTS: Dementia trends and management in a neuropsychiatric facility serving over 26 million people in Northeastern Nigeria. Alzheimer's disease accounted for 60.5% of the dementia cases reported, with hypertension as the leading comorbidity. There is an urgent need for improved diagnostic tools and health care infrastructure to address dementia in resource-constrained settings. The findings lay the foundation for developing a dementia cohort as part of the Northern Nigeria Dementia Research Group.
Key findings
- Of the 1216 cases reported, Alzheimer's disease (60.5%) was the most common subtype, followed by vascular dementia (24.5%).
- Hypertension (41.6%) was the most frequent comorbidity.
- Memory loss was present in all cases, whereas behavioral symptoms like agitation presented in some cases.
- Treatments included cognitive enhancers (donepezil), supplements (gingko biloba), and non-drug therapies (psychoeducation).
- The increasing burden of dementia at this sole facility highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions and further research to understand the underlying factors contributing to dementia in this population.
Why it matters
This retrospective analysis of 1216 cases at a single neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria found that Alzheimer's disease was the most common subtype and hypertension the most frequent comorbidity. The authors highlight an urgent need for better diagnostic tools and health care infrastructure to address dementia in this resource-constrained setting.
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Study details
- Effect size60.5%; 24.5%; 41.6%
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Mahmoud Bukar Maina: h-index 16 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 13 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40110607) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Wakawa, I. A., Musami, U. B., Kwairanga, S. H., Ogualili, P. N., Mahmood, M. Y., Fugu, M. A., et al. (2025). Dementia in a resource‐constrained sub‐Saharan African setting: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of prevalence, risk factors, and management at the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14538
Vancouver
Wakawa IA, Musami UB, Kwairanga SH, Ogualili PN, Mahmood MY, Fugu MA, et al. Dementia in a resource‐constrained sub‐Saharan African setting: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of prevalence, risk factors, and management at the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.14538. PMID: 40110607.
BibTeX
@article{wakawa2025-40110607,
author = {Wakawa, Ibrahim Abdu and Musami, Umar Baba and Kwairanga, Suleiman Hamidu and Ogualili, Placidus Nwankuba and Mahmood, Mohammed Yusuf and Fugu, Muhammad Abba and Gimba, Mohammed Mala and Allamin, Muktar Mohammed and others},
title = {{Dementia in a resource‐constrained sub‐Saharan African setting: A comprehensive retrospective analysis of prevalence, risk factors, and management at the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.14538},
pmid = {40110607},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14538}
}
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