Frequently Asked Questions About Participating in the BIOCARD Study
How can a study of individuals without cognitive impairment increase knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease?
It is increasingly clear that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology begins to accumulate when individuals are cognitively unimpaired, years or decades before the development of clinical impairment. Studying the brain structure and function of cognitively normal individuals is the primary way in which we can see the earliest changes associated with the disease, and their impact on risk of future cognitive decline. In addition, it is important to determine how health and lifestyle factors might protect against developing cognitive impairment and dementia, and whether the protective effects of these factors are influenced by early AD-related brain changes. The hope is that when effective treatments become available, they can be given before symptoms emerge.
How long does each study visit take?
The duration of each visit depends on which study procedures are being given. The annual visit includes clinical and cognitive assessments and blood draws, which take about 3 hours. Approximately every other year, participants also complete a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a lumbar puncture for collection of cerebrospinal fluid. Each of these procedures adds additional time to the study visits; further details about the duration of these visits can be found here.
What types of transportation assistance is provided for study visits?
The study staff arranges for whatever transportation is needed. This includes a car service to and from different locations at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, as well as air travel for those participants who are coming from outside the greater Baltimore/Washington area.
Why is it important for the study to include a broad spectrum of people?
It is important for research studies to include individuals with different biological and genetic characteristics. This helps provide a better understanding of the extent to which research findings apply to, or benefit, everyone. For example, it is now clear that many different factors influence the rate of cognitive decline as people get older, including health status, lifestyle factors and genetics. It is essential to examine these factors in a broad spectrum of participants in order to understand their role in the development of cognitive decline, particularly during the earliest phase of Alzheimer’s disease.