Canadian-led reviews were selected for this scoping review to maximize the national relevance of the findings and their applicability to mapping brain health and dementia research within the Canadian context. Scholars indicate that scoping reviews are highly useful for mapping large bodies of literature and identifying knowledge gaps to determine the breadth of the field [12,13]. Peters et al [13] note that scoping reviews are increasingly being used to inform decision-making and future research directions. This scoping review of reviews protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (a5bsx) on June 5, 2025.

This scoping review of reviews will adhere to the framework by Arksey and O’Malley [14], comprising six steps: (1) establishing the research question, (2) exploration of relevant studies, (3) selection of studies, (4) extracting and charting the data, (5) synthesizing and reporting key findings, and (6) expert consultation. We will share our findings following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist [12].

Our scoping review will be structured around the dementia strategy of Canada’s 3 thematic areas: dementia prevention, advancing treatment and finding a cure, and enhancing the quality of life of people with dementia and their care partners [10]. This scoping review of reviews protocol will consist of primary and secondary research questions.

The titles and abstracts of the extracted reviews will be independently screened by 2 reviewers against the inclusion criteria. The same 2 reviewers will independently conduct the full-text screening of the reviews. Covidence (Veritas Health Innovation) will be used to manage all the literature reviews obtained in our search [15]. To document the review of the literature, we will follow the PRISMA-ScR guidelines [12] and create a flowchart to show the data filtering process. Any discrepancies regarding a review article’s inclusion will be resolved through discussion among the 2 reviewers to achieve consensus. However, any disagreements in which consensus cannot be reached will involve a third reviewer to facilitate discussion and reach consensus through communication among the 3 researchers.

Covidence will be used to create a data extraction table that will aid in systematically mapping the data from the literature reviews. The data extraction table will include the following categories: author, province, and year; aim; timeline searched; method; theme (prevention, treatment, or quality of life); knowledge gaps; innovations; and findings (including conclusions). Two reviewers will conduct a pilot test of the data extraction table to ensure the clarity of the data extraction process.

Our research team includes 2 people living with dementia who are national dementia advocates. They are involved in numerous research projects across Canada and have presented in podcasts, webinars, conferences, and government meetings. In this project, these research partners will be involved in all stages of our research, from refining the scoping review question to collaborating in knowledge mobilization strategies. For example, our research partners with lived experience will be involved in the development and refinement of our themes during the thematic analysis process. Additionally, they will attend our quarterly full-team meetings. Honoraria will be provided to them for their invaluable knowledge, time, and insights shared on the project.

Historically, people with lived experience have not often been included in research teams and have had little involvement in guiding research questions [18]. However, the inclusion of people living with dementia is essential to our work as it contributes to a more robust and critical lens to evaluate the landscape of brain health and dementia research. Brett et al [19] note that incorporating lived experience in reviews can be used to collectively identify knowledge gaps, develop research questions, assess the practical implications of the topic, and recognize relevant areas for future research. Furthermore, our research team consists of multidisciplinary professionals from across Canada with expertise in population health, nursing, social work, sociology, epidemiology, psychology, and family medicine.

This scoping review of reviews aims to map the current landscape, knowledge gaps, and areas for innovation to advance brain health and dementia research in Canada. More specifically, this review is anticipated to provide an overview of the current brain health and dementia research ecosystem. By consolidating existing research, this review will reveal gaps in knowledge and illuminate areas for future research. Although our review may highlight policy and practice implications, our study will be conducted to map the current research rather than assess research projects, policies, or practices. By revealing research gaps, our review’s findings will offer important insights for policymakers and research funders to help shed light on strategic areas for future research funding. Consequently, the findings from our study will fuel future investigations and illuminate priority research areas that may require implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and scaling up.

Our protocol adheres to the framework by Arksey and O’Malley [14] and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines [13], ensuring a rigorous, transparent, and systematic methodology. Guided by the criteria of trustworthiness by Lincoln and Guba [17], steps will be taken to ensure dependability, credibility, and transparency throughout the study. Although our research is not without limitations, the findings from our scoping review will be invaluable in helping identify critical research gaps and areas for innovation in the areas of dementia prevention, treatments, and quality of life. The findings from this study will provide essential information for prioritizing strategic funding initiatives and future directions to accelerate brain health and dementia research in Canada.

Although this scoping review of reviews will be conducted in a robust manner, it is important to note its limitations. For instance, as we will conduct a review of reviews, it is possible that some relevant studies will be excluded if they are not included in a review. Our selected electronic databases may also present limitations in that some relevant reviews may be overlooked if they are not indexed in the databases. Additionally, our search terms will not include each of the different types of dementia, which may limit the results of our search. Moreover, our search will only include reviews with Canadian authors, which may limit the generalizability of our findings. Accordingly, a future scoping review of reviews to examine the research on brain health and dementia worldwide would be informative. Another limitation is that our review only focuses on peer-reviewed publications from the years 2020 to 2025, which will only provide a snapshot in time. Consequently, future reviews could be augmented by ongoing updates to map the brain health and dementia research landscape longitudinally over time. Future researchers may consider developing an evolving scoping review of reviews to provide periodic updates to ensure that the evidence base remains timely and relevant for informing strategic priorities.

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 to advance the field. 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 in Canada.