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. Recently, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research awarded a 1-year funding grant from the Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment in Aging Research Initiative to map the scope of brain health and dementia research in Canada. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review of reviews protocol aims to address this call by outlining the methodology that will be used for mapping the research landscape, documenting the knowledge gaps, and identifying areas of innovation to advance brain health and dementia research in Canada. METHODS: Given the large volume of literature, a scoping review of Canadian-led reviews was selected as the most appropriate method because it would allow for a robust synthesis of nationally relevant research while mapping knowledge gaps and innovation. Our scoping review of reviews will follow the framework by Arksey and O'Malley along with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The search will focus on peer-reviewed literature reviews published between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2025, to capture the current state of knowledge since the national dementia strategy's publication in 2019. This search will be conducted using 5 electronic databases: CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science. Our data extraction table will include the following categories: author, province, and year; aim; review timeline; method; theme; knowledge gaps; innovations; and findings. The data will be analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: This protocol was registered on June 5, 2025, with the Open Science Framework. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from November 2024 to November 2025. The anticipated timeline for the publication of the full scoping review of reviews is May 2026. The findings from this review will be shared through targeted knowledge mobilization activities such as presentations at national funding agency meetings, academic conferences, and community workshops. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review of reviews will provide a robust synthesis of the brain health and dementia research landscape, helping document critical knowledge gaps and identify areas for innovation. The results of this research will provide critical data to help inform strategic funding initiatives and future research directions. The findings from our scoping review will have implications for research funders, policymakers, community organizations, and researchers that are working to accelerate brain health and dementia research across Canada.