Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is leading 24 clinicians from the region and beyond to set up Southeast Asia’s first consortium dedicated to tackling dementia.

The Southeast Asian Consortium on Neurocognition, Neuroimaging and Biomarker Research Plus (SEACURE+) will pool resources and data representative of the region’s 700 million people to better understand the unique traits of the Southeast Asian brain and develop a harmonised approach to prevent and manage dementia.

The consortium began as a working group in 2023 comprising Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. At its official launch today, SEACURE+ expanded its regional footprint with the addition of Brunei and Myanmar as new member countries.

SEACURE+ also inducted China and India as honorary members. Their participation will enable comparative studies between Chinese and Indian populations living in Southeast Asia and those in their home countries. This will deepen understanding of how factors such as environment, culture, and epigenetics can shape the biological processes underlying dementia.

Professor Joseph Sung, NTU Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), said: “Leading SEACURE+ is an extension of LKCMedicine’s efforts to consistently seek innovative ways to transform detection and treatment of diseases, such as dementia, among our Asian population, and improve their wellbeing. This consortium will be able to translate the clinical and academic expertise of our regional partners to in-depth understanding of how dementia affects people in this part of the world as well as development of more personalised and scalable solutions.”

SEACURE+ is chaired by Associate Professor Nagaendran Kandiah, the Director of the Dementia Research Centre (Singapore) (DRCS) at LKCMedicine. The consortium brings together thought leaders and experts in dementia, including neurologists, psychiatrists, geriatricians, and researchers.

Rise in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Through initial data sharing, SEACURE+ has identified a growing trend of patients presenting with symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at memory clinics, which previously saw mainly moderate to severe dementia cases[1]. Also known as pre-dementia, MCI represents a critical window where early intervention can slow down disease progression.

To help member countries take advantage of this window, SEACURE+ is calling for stronger and coordinated regional efforts to improve early detection and management of MCI. These include country-specific validation of cognitive tests, development of digital diagnostic tools, adoption of blood-based biomarker testing, and the integration of cognitive screening into national health programmes for older adults.

Assoc Prof Kandiah said: “The trend that the SEACURE+ members are observing at their respective clinics point to more people being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Since the signs and symptoms of early stages of MCI are usually not obvious to patients or caregivers, it is likely there are more patients who are not getting the diagnosis and management they need to lower the risk of dementia. Understanding this trend across the region and equipping clinicians with efficient diagnostic tools and management are amongst the key aims of this consortium. It will allow us to revolutionise dementia care and enhance public awareness.”

SEACURE+ will leverage the expertise of DRCS, which is now testing new pharmacological and lifestyle interventions to address the narrowing of blood vessels. Data from ongoing clinical trials with novel pharmacological agents will also be made available to member countries. In addition, diagnostic digital cognitive evaluations developed at the Centre will be rolled out in member countries.

Professor Tan Maw Pin, a SEACURE+ member from Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, said: “Southeast Asians have many commonalities in their culture, beliefs and lifestyle risk factors. SEACURE+ brings together like-minded clinicians from these countries to address a major need, with our countries being among the fastest ageing nations globally. Alongside this rapidly shifting population demographics would be an even more rapid increase in number of people living with dementia, with it being a condition affecting the older people the most. Early detection is crucial if our countries are in any way able to address this unprecedent increase in cases in dementia which has major socioeconomic impacts. SEACURE+ will be the platform for us to work together and share knowledge in order to enhance the rate of discovery and management of early dementia in our region.”

The need for a Southeast Asian dementia consortium

Dementia in Asians often presents with distinct cognitive symptoms, underscoring the need for a consortium focused on understanding the epidemiology of MCI and dementia in Southeast Asia.

Findings from the ongoing Biomarkers and Cognition Study, Singapore (BIOCIS)[2] led by DRCS show that among participants with MCI, 40 per cent showed signs of narrowing blood vessels.

Researchers also found that the Apolipoprotein gene E4 (APOE-E4), commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease, accounted for only 20 per cent of the cases among study participants with MCI.

In addition, the researchers identified blood brain barrier “leakiness”, a dysfunction where the barrier between the bloodstream and the brain becomes less effective at regulating the movement of substances, as a major mechanism contributing to cognitive impairment in Asians[3].

Taken together, these findings indicate that the pathways driving cognitive decline in Asian populations differ significantly from those observed in Western populations, reinforcing the need for region-specific research, diagnostics, and interventions.

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