Dementia and memory problems in American Samoa
Official title: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) prevalence in American Samoa
Funded at American Samoa Community Cancer Coalitio · NIH-11297728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will measure how common Alzheimer's and related dementias are among older adults living in American Samoa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | American Samoa Community Cancer Coalitio NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pago Pago, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $4,106,948 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1AG075904-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11297728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 65 and older who live in American Samoa and are willing to complete brief memory and health questionnaires or clinic visits.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside American Samoa or who are younger than 65 are unlikely to benefit directly from this local prevalence project.
What this research studies
From the patient's point of view, researchers will work with local clinics, community leaders, and families across American Samoa to screen older adults for memory and thinking problems using brief cognitive tests and health questionnaires. They will collect medical history, lifestyle information, and may include genetic markers like APOE to better understand risk in this population. The team will combine community outreach with clinic-based data and review existing records to estimate how many people have dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The goal is to build local capacity and culturally appropriate approaches so services can respond to growing needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help local health services find more people with dementia sooner and plan better support for patients and caregivers.
How similar studies have gone: Other prevalence studies in Indigenous and Pacific populations have helped guide services, but documented data from American Samoa are scarce, making this effort relatively novel for that territory.
Where this research is happening
-
American Samoa Community Cancer Coalitio
Pago Pago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tofaeono, Vaatausili T — American Samoa Community Cancer Coalitio
- Study coordinator: Tofaeono, Vaatausili T
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.