Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jun 13, 2025
Date Accepted: Jan 7, 2026
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jan 7, 2026
Mapping the Landscape, Knowledge Gaps, and Areas for Innovation in Brain Health and Dementia Research in Canada: A Scoping Review of Reviews Protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Dementia is one of Canada’s most pressing public health challenges, with rates expected to surge in response to the country’s aging population. Given the rapidly growing issue of dementia, understanding national research efforts is critical to prioritizing and advancing strategic directions in brain health and dementia research across Canada. Although numerous scoping and systematic reviews have been conducted, there is a paucity of knowledge synthesizing this literature to create a strong foundation for advancing evidence-based innovation.
Objective:
The aim of this scoping review of reviews protocol is to outline the methodology that will be used in examining Canadian-led reviews to identify knowledge gaps, needs, and catalyze new advancements in brain health and dementia research in Canada.
Methods:
This scoping review of reviews protocol will follow the Arksey and O’Malley framework, along with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The search will focus on peer-reviewed literature reviews published between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2025. The first author will require Canadian affiliation for the review to meet the inclusion criteria. This search will be conducted using five electronic databases: CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Thematic analysis will be used to synthesize the literature and its gaps.
Results:
This protocol was registered on June 6, 2025 with the Open Science Framework (OSF). The scoping review’s data collection and analysis will be conducted from August to September 2025. Findings from the review will include a range of activities such as a national webinar, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and an infographic.
Conclusions:
Our results will provide a synthesis of Canadian-led reviews, establishing a robust foundation of evidence-informed knowledge needed to advance brain health and dementia research innovation in Canada. Findings from this scoping review of reviews will have implications for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers that focus on advancing brain health and dementia care in Canada. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.
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