Remote Blood Collection Shows Promise For Alzheimer's Research

A new paper published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease shows promising results for using remote blood collection to identify potential participants for preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) trials. This approach could significantly improve the efficiency of research into this devastating disease.

Developing new treatments for Alzheimer's requires enrolling people at risk of the disease in clinical trials. Traditionally, this has involved lengthy screening processes at research centers. However, this process can be inconvenient and time-consuming for potential participants, leading to difficulties in finding enough people for trials.

The AlzMatch study explored a more accessible method where researchers recruited participants from an online registry, the Alzheimer's Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy. Those who met the criteria (age 50 or older, living near a specific lab and trial site) were invited to consent to participate electronically. Blood samples were then collected at convenient community labs, and plasma biomarker levels were analyzed. The study exceeded expectations, with nearly 40% of invited participants consenting electronically, and over 70% of those who consented provided usable blood samples. Importantly, these rates were consistent across demographics, including gender and race/ethnicity.

These findings suggest that remote blood collection with plasma biomarker analysis is a feasible and promising approach for recruiting participants in AD research. This could lead to:

• Faster Trial Enrollment: Easier recruitment could speed up the development of new treatments.
• Increased Accessibility: Remote participation could make trials more accessible to people who might not otherwise be able to participate.
• More Diverse Trials: Consistent participation rates across demographics could lead to more representative trial populations.

Based on this success, an expanded version of the AlzMatch study is already underway. This larger study will involve more participants and clinical trial sites, further validating this promising approach to Alzheimer's research.