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LatAm‑FINGERS Trial Shows Multidomain Program Boosts Cognition in Older Adults

High completion and adherence suggest the regionally adapted program could be scaled to lower dementia risk across Latin America.

Overview

  • The trial, published in The Lancet and presented at AAIC 2026, randomized 1,065 adults aged 60–77 from 11 Latin American countries and followed them for two years.
  • Participants in the structured multidomain intervention improved global cognition 55% more than those who received general health recommendations.
  • Measured gains also appeared in episodic memory, attention, and executive function, which are cognitive skills sensitive to aging.
  • The intervention combined supervised exercise, a locally adapted healthy diet, cardiovascular risk control, cognitive training, and group social activities, and it was led by Lucía Crivelli with funding from the Alzheimer’s Association.
  • The study achieved 82.3% two-year completion and 71.6% average adherence, and investigators have started a four-year extension to test whether benefits persist without intensive support while stressing the results do not guarantee individual prevention of dementia.