Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) ranks as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, yet unlike other diseases in this category, there are no disease-modifying medications for AD. Currently there is significant interest in exploring the benefits of pharmacological treatment before the onset of dementia (e.g., in those with mild cognitive impairment); however, recruitment for such studies is challenging. The current study examined interest in pharmacological intervention trials relative to other types of clinical interventions. A total of 67 non-demented older adults enrolled in a longitudinal cognitive aging study completed a questionnaire assessing interest in participating in a variety of hypothetical research study designs. Consistent with past research, results showed that the opportunities for participants to advance science, receive feedback about their current health, and help themselves or others, were associated with increased interest in clinical trial participation. Some factors were not associated with change in interest (e.g., a doctor not recommending participation) while others were associated with decreased interest (e.g., having to come in for multiple visits each week). Relative to other types of interventions, pharmacological intervention trials were associated with the least interest in participation, despite pharmacological interventions being rated as more likely to result in AD treatment. Decreased interest was not predicted by subjective memory concerns, number of current medications, cardiovascular risk, or beliefs about the likely success of pharmacological treatments. These results highlight the challenges faced by researchers investigating pharmacological treatments in non-demented older individuals, and suggest future research could contribute to more effective ways of recruiting participants in AD-related clinical trials.
Highlights
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and is the only disease in the top ten for which there are no disease-modifying medications
The Collaboration for Alzheimer’s Prevention and other organizations have highlighted that doing clinical trials in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or participants with no cognitive impairment but at increased risk for AD is essential for the development of interventions that are effective in the eventual treatment of AD [1]
Given the number of pharmacological interventions planned or underway for delaying or preventing the onset or progression of AD, and the challenges in recruitment for those studies, understanding factors that increase or decrease enrollment in research is an important goal for clinical trial researchers
Summary
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and is the only disease in the top ten for which there are no disease-modifying medications. There are approximately 300 clinical trials underway, or soon to be underway, in the United States that are designed to determine the ability of different interventions to prevent or delay the development of AD [2]. Some of these strategies involve pharmacological interventions, while others involve non-pharmacological approaches including environmental or behavioral based interventions [3], [4]. It is unknown what motivates or deters an individual from participating in different types of clinical trials related to AD. Understanding the factors that influence, or predict, the willingness of an individual to participate in the different types of interventions is important for developing the most effective recruitment strategies for a specific type of clinical trial [1], [5]
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