You’ve Got a Friend in Me: How Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults Select a Study Partner to Participate With Them in Alzheimer’s Disease Research

This study aimed to gain a better understanding of how older adults select a study partner for Alzheimer’s disease research. Researchers interviewed 60 potential research participants who reported they had not previously received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment, or another neurological disorder and 17 likely study partners. Most potential participants identified one or two individuals they would be willing to ask to serve as their study partner. Interviewees saw value in the study partner role but also recognized potential burdens, such as travel and emotional demands, that could make participation as a study partner more difficult, especially for individuals with work and family responsibilities.

Largent EA, et al. You’ve got a friend in me: How cognitively unimpaired older adults select a study partner to participate with them in Alzheimer’s disease research. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2022;1-3. doi: 10.3233/JAD-220061.