Investigating Neurocognitive Disorders Epidemiology

The INDE study is a prospective cohort aimed at investigating the natural history and epidemiology of neurocognitive disorders in Thailand. Its primary objective is to develop a predictive model that combines biomarkers (eg. plasma phosphorylated tau) and cognitive performance to accurately predict cognitive decline. Additional objectives include cross-sectional evaluation of various biomarkers for diagnosing disease pathologies, identifying correlations between biomarkers and clinical outcomes, understanding the impact of receiving a biological diagnosis, describing the epidemiology of neurocognitive disorders including risk factors and social determinants of health (SDH), exploring the socioeconomic consequences of these disorders, and establishing a biorepository for future research. The study invites both healthy volunteers and patients referred from memory clinics to participate in a 4-hour visit during which various research procedures are conducted: collection of biospecimens (blood, saliva, sweat), structured interviews covering symptoms, comorbidities, risk factors, SDH, and quality of life, as well as a comprehensive cognitive examination. Participants are scheduled for annual or biennial follow-up visits based on their cognitive status. For those consenting to specific disclosures, investigators provide some biomarker test results and offer post-test counseling based on available research literature. Depending on current funding, a subset of participants meeting additional criteria may also undergo evaluation using appropriate neuroimaging or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.