To adapt the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) to the Quechua indigenous language (Q-RUDAS).

Brief cognitive tests (BCTs) allow for a standardized approach to screening and diagnosis of dementia, but depend on the patient's native language and literacy. In South America, the Quechua indigenous language is spoken by over 8 million people. As the prevalence of dementia increases, it is essential to establish culturally-adapted tools that allow for diagnosis in this neglected population.

We carried out a cultural adaptation of the RUDAS test to the Cusco variant of Quechua through a translation-back-translation process with three independent bilingual translators. An expert panel comprised of three neurologists, a psychologist, and a general practitioner then reviewed the instrument through three rounds of reviews. Finally, three trained psychologists applied a pilot test on native speakers over 60 years old, without a diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia, in the Cusco region. We excluded those with pathologies that may interfere with test taking. They were also asked open-ended questions about the test. An appropriate IRB approved the protocol and culturally sensitive informed consent.

We evaluated 29 patients with an average age of 67.6±5.9 years and 65.5% were female. 55.2% were not fluent in Spanish, the remainder reported only speaking proficiency. All considered Quechua to be their healthcare language of choice. Patients understood all Q-RUDAS items but reported difficulties with visuospatial construction. The scores were similar for the three interviewers. Over a third of the patients scored less than 23 on the adapted Q-RUDAS test, although most came from the same interviewer. Most of the patients had between 24 and 26 points.

We developed a Quechua adaptation of the RUDAS BCT that was well understood among native patients. If validated by a larger study, this tool could aid in dementia diagnosis of this indigenous population.