Anns, F., Quarrie, K. L., Milne, B. J., Li, C., Gardner, A. J., Murphy, I. R., ... & D’Souza, S. (2025). Neurodegenerative Diseases in Male Former First-Class New Zealand Rugby Players, Sports Medicine, 1-16.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This  study compared males born who were active in high-level (provincial or higher) (n = 12,861) with males from the general population (n = 2,394,300), and found a small to moderate increase in dementia risk.
Keywords:
risks, rugby, head injury
Link
Graham, O. E., Pitcher, T. L., Liau, Y., Miller, A. L., Dalrymple-Alford, J. C., Anderson, T. J., & Kennedy, M. A. (2020). Nanopore sequencing of the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene in a New Zealand Parkinson's disease cohort. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 70, 36-41.
Type:
Research article
Description:

This study found that 9.2% of patients from a New Zealand Parkinson's disease cohort carry GBA mutations. There is a significantly higher prevalence of dementia in patients carrying GBA mutations.

Keywords:
Parkinson’s,  Parkinson Disease, genetic
Link
Hoogland, J., Boel, J. A., de Bie, R. M., Geskus, R. B., Schmand, B. A., Dalrymple‐Alford, J. C., ...& Burn, D. J. (2017). Mild cognitive impairment as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease dementia. Movement Disorders, 32(7), 1056-1065.
Type:
Research article
Description:
In this international study, including data from New Zealand, survival analysis evaluated the predictive value of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s disease towards dementia as expressed by the relative hazard of dementia. The results showed a clear and unique contribution to the hazard of Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Keywords:
Parkinson's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, neuropsychological tests, survival analyses
Link
Hoogland, J., Boel, J. A., de Bie, R. M., Schmand, B. A., Geskus, R. B., Dalrymple‐Alford, J. C., ... & Pedersen, K. F. (2019). Risk of Parkinson's disease dementia related to level I MDS PD‐MCI. Movement Disorders, 34(3), 430-435.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This meta-analysis combined the data from 8 studies (involving 1045 patients) to investigate the risk factors for conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Parkinson's disease dementia.  
Keywords:
Parkinson’s,  MCI, mild cognitive impairment
Link
Ma’u, E., Cullum, S., & Cheung, G. (2024). Navigating ethnic diversity: Rethinking dementia prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 58(5), 381-384.
Type:
Editorial
Description:
Argues that almost half of dementia in New Zealand is potentially preventable, and this rises to over 50% of dementia in Māori and Pacific peoples. While complete elimination of risk factors is unlikely, even modest reductions in risk factor prevalence can significantly reduce dementia incidence.
Keywords:
Risk, Prevention
Link
Ma'u, E., Cullum, S., Cheung, G., Tamatea, J., Livingston, G., & Mukadam, N. (2025). Variation of the risk associated with potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia between ethnic groups within one country. A retrospective cohort study using routinely collected health data in Aotearoa New Zealand. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 40(1), e70042.   
Type: 
Research article
 
Description: 
 
This study found that six risk factors including low education, smoking, diabetes, depression, lack of physical activity, and social isolation increased dementia risk by 13-55%
Keywords:
Risk, Prevention, 
Link
Ma’u, E., Mukadam, N., Livingston, G., Cheung, G., & Cullum, S. (2025). Self-reported diagnosis of mental disorders, psychological distress, and risk of incident dementia in New Zealand. International Psychogeriatrics, 100075.    
Type:
Research article
Description:
Etuini Ma'u and colleagues have analysed data from the New Zeland Health Survey and found that people who reported mental health issues or distress were more likely to develop dementia than their peers
Keywords:
Risk, Psychological distress, Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety
Link
Ma'u, E., Mukadam, N., Livingston, G., Walsh, S., Röhr, S., Brayne, C., ... & Cullum, S. (2025). Estimating the impact of risk factor reduction on dementia prevalence in New Zealand. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(7), e70440..
Type:
Research article
Description:

This New Zealand study found that reducing 12 modifiable dementia risk factors by just 15% could prevent up to 14.6% of dementia cases, with even greater benefits for Māori and Pacific peoples over a 30-year period..

Risk, Prevention, Māori, Pacific peoples
Link
Payman, V., Yates, S., & Cullum, S. (2018). Early onset dementia in New Zealand Pacific boxers: a case series. Alcohol, 5(6), 7.
Type:
Research article, case series
Description:
This paper presents a case series of eight former amateur or professional boxers, all of Pacific background and all living in South Auckland, New Zealand, seven of whom present with early onset dementia (onset prior to age 65) and one with onset of dementia at age 71.
Keywords:
risks, boxing, head injury
Link
Pi, S.Z. (2023). The Effect of Moderate Alcohol Use on the Health of Older Adults in New Zealand: A scoping review and analysis of the Health, Work and Retirement Study. University of Auckland Masters Thesis
Type:
Thesis
Description:
This research undertook a review of the existing literature on the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on health outcomes and secondary data analyses of a New Zealand  cohort study. The scoping review found contradictory evidence on the link between alcohol and dementia.
Keywords:
alcohol, health
Link
Robinson, G., Narasimhan, S., Weatherall, M., & Beasley, R. (2005). Raised plasma homocysteine levels in alcoholism: increasing the risk of heart disease and dementia? The New Zealand Medical Journal, 118(1216), 1-7.
Type:
Research article
Description:
Raised plasma homocysteine levels may contribute to the increased risk of dementia associated with alcoholism. This study measured plasma homocysteine levels in 20 female and 31 male alcoholic subjects admitted to hospital for detoxification.
Keywords:
alcohol, alcoholism, risks
Link
Rohrer J.D., Boxer A.L. (2021) The Frontotemporal Dementia Prevention Initiative: Linking Together Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia Cohort Studies. In: Ghetti B., Buratti E., Boeve B., Rademakers R. (eds) Frontotemporal Dementias. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1281. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51140-1_8
Type:
Research article
Description:
Researchers involved in Frontal Temporal Dementia cohort studies from a number of countries, including New Zealand (NZ FTD Genetic Study, FTDGeNZ), have come together to form the FTD Prevention Initiative (FPI).  
Keywords:
Frontal Temporal Dementia
Link
Russ, T. C., Murianni, L., Icaza, G., Slachevsky, A., & Starr, J. M. (2016). Geographical variation in dementia mortality in Italy, New Zealand, and Chile: The impact of latitude, Vitamin D, and air pollution. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 42(1-2), 31-41.
Type:
Research article
Description:
This study calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for deaths in 2012 where dementia was recorded as the underlying cause for regions in Italy, New Zealand and Chile. Geographical variation plays a key role in dementia risk, but patterns vary in men and women and by northern and southern hemisphere.
Keywords:
risk, Alzheimer’s disease, geographical variation, epidemiology
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Scotter, E. L. (2015). Motor Neurone Disease: bringing New Zealand patients onto the world stage. The New Zealand Medical Journal (Online), 128(1409), 12.
Type:
Research article, review
Description:
Motor neurone disease (MND) is the umbrella term for a group of degenerative diseases of the motor neurons, of which amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the most common form. TMND is under-researched in New Zealand
Keywords:
Motor neurone disease,  MND, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
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Smyth, A., Dehghan, M., O'Donnell, M., Anderson, C., Teo, K., Gao, P., ... & Yusuf, S. (2015). Healthy eating and reduced risk of cognitive decline: A cohort from 40 countries. Neurology, 84(22), 2258-2265.
Research article
Description:
This study sought to determine the association of dietary factors and risk of cognitive decline in a population at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Baseline dietary intake and measures of the Mini-Mental State Examination were recorded in 27,860 men and women who were enrolled in 2 international parallel trials (including New Zealand) Higher diet quality was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Improved diet quality represents an important potential target for reducing the global burden of cognitive decline.
Keywords:
risk, cognition, diet, healthy eating
Link
Stephens, C., Spicer, J., Budge, C., Stevenson, B., & Alpass, F. (2015). Accounting for differences in cognitive health between older adults in New Zealand and the USA. International Psychogeriatrics, 27(4), 591-600.
Type:
Research article
Description:
Two nationally representative samples were compared. Older New Zealand adults displayed better cognitive function than those in a US sample. This advantage can be partially explained by age and sex differences and, to some extent, by differences in known risk factors. However, the national advantage remained even when all measured risk factors are statistically controlled.
Keywords:
risk, cognition, geographic variation
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Wood, K. L., Myall, D. J., Livingston, L., Melzer, T. R., Pitcher, T. L., MacAskill, M. R., ... & Dalrymple-Alford, J. C. (2016). Different PD-MCI criteria and risk of dementia in Parkinson’s disease: 4-year longitudinal study. NPJ Parkinson's disease, 2, 15027.    
Type:
Research article
Description:
A longitudinal study followed 121 non-demented PD patients for up to 4.5 years. The conclusion was that If the intent of a PD-MCI diagnosis is to detect increased risk of PDD in the next 4 years, optimal criteria should identify at least two impairments at 1.5 s.d. within a single cognitive domain.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s disease, progression
Link