Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative: Building a globally representative cohort through a technologically‐enabled approach

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundIn January 2021, the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) was launched to develop precision solutions to reduce barriers to AD research for globally underrepresented populations, including older adults from any ethnic/racial group and/or the lowest resource settings. To meet this DAC vision, the Global Cohort Development (GCD) program has been establishing collaborations with existing cohort studies around the world to collect new digital cognitive and behavioral phenotypic data and harmonize digital data with existing cohort data. DAC is also creating open‐source data processing and advanced analytic tools, and building the infrastructure necessary to make these data broadly, but securely accessible to the scientific community.MethodsFifteen cohorts from 13 countries have joined GCD, representing 25,000+ individuals. Each cohort is deploying a protocol using a tablet to document AD‐related cognitive and behavioral symptoms across the disease continuum, as well as a smartphone for remote detection and continuous monitoring of incident changes in these symptoms.ResultsWe will discuss the approach for launching a digital protocol across cohorts from multiple countries, where the participant mix varies in technology access and use, language, culture and education, and extensiveness of existing research infrastructure.ConclusionsGlobal population level research requires a significant paradigm shift in traditional methodology including study design, assessment practices, data accessibility infrastructure and analytic approaches. Achieving global reach that works regardless of available resources and expertise will require major realignment for AD research to be representative of everyone, and clinical assessment and care relevant and equitable to anyone.