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Prevalence of Neurocognitive Disorders in the Elderly Quechua Population Using the Q-RUDAS
Author(s)
Zegarra-Valdivia, Jonathan Adrián
Universidad Científica del Sur
Paredes-Manrique, Carmen Noelia
Universidad Tecnológica del Perú
Malaga, Marco
Instituto Peruano de Neurociencias
Universidad Señor de Sipán
Montesinos, Rosa
Instituto Peruano de Neurociencias
Custodio Capuñay, Nilton Santos
Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista
Tosto, Giuseppe
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital
Date Issued
4 de diciembre de 2025
Type
Article
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Volume
15
Issue
12
Series/Report No.
Brain Sciences
Contained in
Brain Sciences
ISSN
2076-3425
Abstract
Background:The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) is a validated cognitive screening tool for illiterate and low-educated individuals, adaptable across languages and cultures. In Peru, we adapted it for Quechua speakers (Q-RUDAS) to assess cognitive status in older adults. Objective: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of neurocognitive disorders—mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia—among Quechua-speaking older adults in one of the most socially vulnerable districts of Peru using the Quechua version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (Q-RUDAS), a brief cognitive screening tool validated in Peru. Methods: We studied 511 participants from Puno a region in the southern Peruvian Andes (mean age 65.04 ± 6.73 years; 80.4% females), collecting sociodemographic data and Q-RUDAS scores. After excluding 18 individuals with medical conditions that could affect cognitive performance, such as neurological, psychiatric, or cerebrovascular disorders, 493 completed the test. Results: All Q-RUDAS items were well understood, although over 50% of participants struggled with visuospatial construction. The mean Q-RUDAS score was 26.01 ± 2.71. Of the participants, 446 (90.5%) scored within normal ranges (26.67 ± 1.92), 41 (8.3%) were classified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (21.49 ± 1.92), and 6 (1.2%) as having dementia (17.00 ± 2.71) based on established Q-RUDAS cut-offs. Urban participants scored higher. The prevalence of MCI and dementia combined was 9.52%. Conclusions: The Q-RUDAS is a culturally sensitive tool that can support the identification of cognitive impairment in Indigenous populations. Our findings highlight the need for further cross-validation studies to refine diagnostic accuracy in Quechua-speaking populations.