New York, April 4, 2002 — The New York University Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center is looking for healthy local seniors to participate in a new nationwide research study. The Healthy Aging and Memory Study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, will assess new scientific tools and methods for measuring and tracking memory changes in healthy seniors. The findings from this study may help speed testing of new treatments for preventing Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

An estimated 4 million Americans–one in 10 people age 65 or older and nearly half of those older than 85–currently suffer from AD, making it one of the most serious health concerns facing older men and women. As our population ages, the number of people affected by this devastating disease is expected to increase dramatically.

A number of promising new treatments to prevent AD are currently in the scientific pipeline. To make it practical to test these treatments in a large number of people over several years, researchers need proven data collection tools that are simple to use. The Healthy Aging and Memory Study will assess how reliable, efficient, accurate, and sensitive these new tools are in detecting early AD. Most of the tools will be self-administered by the volunteer and/or a study partner who has regular contact with him/her. The tools will measure thinking and remembering, activities of daily living, overall change, quality of life, and health-related expenses.

The Healthy Aging and Memory Study will also look at the accuracy of information gathered by mail, telephone, and the Internet, compared to that gathered in clinic visits. The aim is to ease the burden and time involved for volunteers and researchers participating in AD trials."We’re in a race to stop Alzheimer’s disease," said Dr. Steven Ferris. "If these new methods and tools prove to be accurate and effective, they will help us measure and track participants in AD clinical trials more efficiently and quickly. That means faster testing of potential new treatments to prevent AD."

To be eligible for the Healthy Aging and Memory Study, volunteers must be age 75 or older, in good health, with no memory problems, and able to read and speak English or Spanish. Each volunteer must have a study partner (friend, family member, or other person) who has contact with him/her at least twice a week (in person or by phone), and can come with the volunteer on clinic visits over the course of the 4-year study.

Nationwide, the study will seek a total of 650 participants, including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. People in these groups are urged to participate to ensure that the study findings are relevant for their communities. Twenty percent of all study participants will belong to these minority groups.

Participants and their study partners will be tracked for 4 years. During this time, they will be evaluated regularly by qualified health care professionals.

People interested in volunteering for the Healthy Aging and Memory Study should call the NYU Aging and Dementia Research Center at (212) 263-3417 for more information.

The NYU Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center is one of 40 centers across the United States participating in the Healthy Aging and Memory Study. The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study at the University of California, San Diego is sponsoring this trial, which is funded through grants from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.

About the ADRC | For Patients & Families | For Professionals | Programs & Services
Newsletter | Contact Us | Home