Walking the Talk for Dementia (WTD) is a weeklong immersive event that builds social networks to advance brain health. The event engages diverse participants who build collaborations during a 40 kilometer walk along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and at a culminating symposium.

Methods

Surveys were used to document connections and collaborations before and after the 2024 event. Participants were asked about their connections with other participants – knowing someone, a personal connection, plans to collaborate, and current collaborations. Social network analysis was used to visualize networks before and after WTD and calculate centrality (number of connections), closeness (distances between participants), and betweenness (bridges between participant clusters). Understanding of social networks was augmented by additional survey questions, and written and audiovisual personal reflections.

Results

Sixty-two participants completed social network questions on the pre- and post-surveys (87.3% and 80.1% of participants, respectively). Preliminary analyses identified certain individuals as central players in the WTD social network. Analyses by participant role (clinician, person with dementia, care partner, advocate, etc.) and region revealed that networks transcend boundaries of role and geography.

Connections and collaborations focused on advocacy, education, research, and inter-organizational partnerships. Key themes included a commitment to integrate people with lived experience in research, education, advocacy, and policy work. Future surveys will add additional WTD participants to demonstrate the growing network and potential influence on population health.

Conclusion

WTD fostered multi-stakeholder collaborations in dementia advocacy, research, and practice. Collaborations across roles and region are essential to enhance brain health of populations.