The Egyptian HCAP validation: a case study for culturally-informed neurocognitive assessment in the MENA region

The Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) initiative represents a significant evolution in aging studies 1 , 2 . While longitudinal studies have historically relied on brief screens, the global shift towards comprehensive, HCAP-aligned assessments is critical for cross-national harmonization 3 , 4 , 5 . However, the rigorous validation required to generate comparable cognitive data extends far beyond linguistic translation 6 . This is particularly urgent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where dementia research has historically been fragmented and underrepresented 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 . The Egyptian HCAP serves not merely as a local translation, but as a methodological case study for the region, addressing specific sociolinguistic and infrastructural challenges to establish a foundation for future epidemiological and intervention studies.