TY - JOUR
T1 - A harmonized framework for studying exceptional cognitive aging in Latin America
AU - Crivelli, Lucia
AU - Fernandez, Rodrigo
AU - Corvalán, Nicolas
AU - Sosa, Ana Luisa
AU - Acosta, Daisy
AU - Agnoletti, Giulia
AU - Surace, Ezequiel
AU - Acosta, Issac
AU - Caramelli, Paulo
AU - Aguillón, David
AU - Martelli, Javiera Leniz
AU - Peñailillo, Lissette Duque
AU - Custodio, Nilton
AU - Charamelo, Ana
AU - Damian, Andres
AU - Llibre-Rodriguez, Juan J.
AU - Allegri, Ricardo
AU - Prina, Mathew
AU - Rogalski, Emily
AU - Ibañez, Laura
AU - Llibre-Guerra, Jorge J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Author(s). Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.
PY - 2026/4
Y1 - 2026/4
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Biological, genetic, and sociocultural factors underlying cognitive resilience and resistance to pathology remain unexplored in Latin America. The Life-Course Epidemiology of Aging, Resilience, and Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease (LEARN-AD) study and Latin American SuperAgers Study (LASAS) establish the first harmonized frameworks to characterize resilience and exceptional cognitive aging phenotypes in the region. METHODS: The shared protocol integrates cognitive, neurological, psychosocial, and genetic data. SuperAgers are deeply phenotyped, while successful cognitive agers are identified through harmonized criteria applied to existing cohorts, ensuring regional adaptation and international comparability. Centralized training and shared procedures ensure cross-site consistency. RESULTS: We define eligibility criteria and standardized assessments to classify successful cognitive agers and SuperAgers in Latin America and examine biological and psychosocial profiles supporting better-than-expected cognition. DISCUSSION: LEARN-AD and LASAS represent the first Latin American infrastructure for studying cognitive resilience, resistance, and exceptional cognitive aging, which will generate unprecedented regional databases and grow into larger networks, providing foundations for research, prevention strategies, and precision approaches to promote brain health in Latin America.
AB - INTRODUCTION: Biological, genetic, and sociocultural factors underlying cognitive resilience and resistance to pathology remain unexplored in Latin America. The Life-Course Epidemiology of Aging, Resilience, and Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease (LEARN-AD) study and Latin American SuperAgers Study (LASAS) establish the first harmonized frameworks to characterize resilience and exceptional cognitive aging phenotypes in the region. METHODS: The shared protocol integrates cognitive, neurological, psychosocial, and genetic data. SuperAgers are deeply phenotyped, while successful cognitive agers are identified through harmonized criteria applied to existing cohorts, ensuring regional adaptation and international comparability. Centralized training and shared procedures ensure cross-site consistency. RESULTS: We define eligibility criteria and standardized assessments to classify successful cognitive agers and SuperAgers in Latin America and examine biological and psychosocial profiles supporting better-than-expected cognition. DISCUSSION: LEARN-AD and LASAS represent the first Latin American infrastructure for studying cognitive resilience, resistance, and exceptional cognitive aging, which will generate unprecedented regional databases and grow into larger networks, providing foundations for research, prevention strategies, and precision approaches to promote brain health in Latin America.
KW - Latin America
KW - SuperAgers
KW - exceptional memory aging phenotype
KW - healthy cognitive aging
KW - resilience
KW - resistance
KW - successful cognitive aging
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035679074
U2 - 10.1002/alz.71373
DO - 10.1002/alz.71373
M3 - Article
C2 - 41979010
AN - SCOPUS:105035679074
SN - 1552-5260
VL - 22
JO - Alzheimer's and Dementia
JF - Alzheimer's and Dementia
IS - 4
M1 - e71373
ER -