Abstract
BackgroundGrowing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has prompted a demand for quick and effective ways to screen for memory loss and cognitive decline in large numbers of individuals in the community. Periodic Memory Screening Day events provide free, brief cognitive screening aimed at those 65 years and older, and can serve as an opportunity to gauge participants’ attitudes towards AD research and recruit them into ongoing research projects.MethodsOver 6 single-day events in 2 years, more than 574 individuals were individually screened using the MoCA and a story recall task (immediate and delayed), given feedback about their performance, and introduced to AD research and opportunities to participate.ResultsScreening classified 297 individuals (52.0%) as having “No Decline,” 192 (33.6%) as “Possible decline,” and 82 (14.4%) as “Likely decline.” Those with “Likely decline” were older and less educated, had more memory concerns, were more likely to be men, and were less likely to have a positive family history of dementia than those with “No Decline.” Subsequent validation of screening procedures against a full clinical evaluation showed 72% classification accuracy with a skew towards over-calling Possible and Likely decline and thereby guiding questionable individuals to a more thorough evaluation. Of those screened, 378 (66%) agreed to additional research and consented to being listed in a research registry, and a majority (70–85%) of those consenting reported they were amenable to various AD research procedures including lumbar puncture, MRI, and autopsy. Overall, 19.1% of those screened met inclusion criteria for ongoing studies and were successfully recruited into AD research.ConclusionsConducting a few concentrated community memory screening events each year may help meet the public’s demand for brief assessment of memory concerns and can be a relatively effective and efficient recruitment strategy for AD research.
Highlights
Growing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has prompted a demand for quick and effective ways to screen for memory loss and cognitive decline in large numbers of individuals in the community
We show the proportion of screened participants who were deemed to have likely memory/cognitive decline, possible memory/ cognitive decline, or no memory/cognitive decline based on objective tests of memory and global cognitive status, and provide data on the validity of our screening method
The date and location of a free “memory screening” event at the University of California (UCSD) Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) was announced in print and on-line versions of an English language newspaper article on aging and brain health published by the San Diego Union-Tribune in early January 2017 and again in early January 2018
Summary
Growing awareness of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has prompted a demand for quick and effective ways to screen for memory loss and cognitive decline in large numbers of individuals in the community. Increasing concern over AD has prompted a demand for quick and effective ways to screen for memory loss and cognitive decline in large numbers of individuals in the community To address this demand, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America initiated an annual National Memory Screening Day to encourage clinicians/ researchers nationwide to offer free memory screening to the public on a specified day each year [4]. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America initiated an annual National Memory Screening Day to encourage clinicians/ researchers nationwide to offer free memory screening to the public on a specified day each year [4] These events are generally aimed at those over the age of 65 with concern about their memory and involve brief cognitive testing with feedback that either reassures the participant of normal function or informs them of a potential problem and the need to consult their usual healthcare provider for further evaluation. While there is some controversy about the need for widespread and somewhat indiscriminate screening for memory impairment [5, 6], identifying potential problems early in their course may have the advantage of allowing “ step” opportunities to occur, such as referral to specialized healthcare providers, identification of treatable causes of cognitive decline (i.e., [7]), and education about beneficial changes in lifestyle [8, 9]
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