Recruitment strategies for preventive trials. The MAPT study (Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial)

Abstract

1680 participants were randomized over the recruitment period in MAPT study. A total of 1290 participants were recruited in the 7 University Hospital centers, and 390 participants in the 6 memory clinics around Toulouse Gerontopole / Alzheimer Disease research clinical center. The first randomization was on May 30, 2008, and the targeted number of randomized participants was reached on February 24, 2011; 2595 subjects were finally screened, of which 1680 fulfilled the eligibility criteria which represents 64.8%. Approximately, one quarter of screened people refused to participate after the detailed presentation of the study and 4.3% were still interested in participating but missed for unknown reasons the baseline visit even after repeated contacts. Of the 1810 subjects who signed the consent for participating to the study at the baseline visit, 130 (7.1%) were excluded because one of the eligibility criteria was not satisfied. Interestingly, the higher percentage of randomizations compared to screened participants is the personal contact source; almost 85 % of screened participants entered in the study. In an equivalent way, Medias and conferences are efficient recruiting sources to enrol volunteers in the study. Unexpectedly, only about 60% of screened participants from the hospital and GP sources were randomized and 33.2% from health care services. Almost a quarter of the randomized participants come from the hospital outpatients clinics and approximately 20% from public conferences. A total of 1128 contacts yielded to 556 screened volunteers and 345 randomized participants in the coordinating center of Toulouse. Thus, 30 % of contacts were recruited.

Cognitive Interventions Targeting Subjective Cognitive Complaints

“…1,5 In this regard, dementia preventive trials are increasingly enrolling individuals with subjective complaints as target populations. 16,17 The implementation of preventive strategies requires specific adaptations, mainly due to the larger population to target. Being applied to the general population (or, better, to subjects at higher risk of experiencing the disease), cost effectiveness and feasibility on a large scale becomes key factors to evaluate the possible interventions to test and/or implement.…”

A Risk Score for the Prediction of Neurocognitive Disorders among Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults

“…Research focus has increasingly shifted toward prevention. There are several ongoing multidomain prevention trials [31,32,33], and pharmacological trials [34] are also targeting at-risk individuals. Risk prediction scores are an addition to a physician's armamentarium of tools to counsel and intervene for modifiable risk factors and will be useful for participant selection in dementia prevention trials.…”

Optimization of the Inclusion of Alzheimer's Disease Patients in International Multicenter Randomized Trials: Results of a National Survey Conducted in Memory Research Centers in France

“…These elements support our aim of optimizing the communication and collaboration between CMRR, patient organizations and caregivers, and allowing the public access to information, including information on clinical trials and their inclusion criteria. An electronic portal (ONRA) for all ongoing trials in French CMRR, like clinicaltrials.gov, would also optimize communication regarding the general public and have direct implications for familiarization with research; it would also create a personal incentive for patients and families to contact research centers [17,18]. For more effective communication, the internal organization of the research center should be clearly arranged.…”