NeuroCare Community Project: A Community Based Prospective Observational Study for Early Alzheimer's Detection in HK

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Observational: Clinical profile, blood collection, cognitive assessment, MRI and PET imaging

Study summary

Population aging is reshaping societal dynamics and presents significant global challenges. By 2050, it is projected that 1.6 billion people worldwide will be over the age of 65. Given that aging is the primary risk factor for many common chronic diseases, reducing the burden of age-related illnesses and promoting healthy aging have become critical public health priorities. Notably, Hong Kong has one of the largest proportions of elderly and the highest life expectancy in the world. Dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a multifaceted condition influenced by both biological and behavioral factors. There is a paucity of robust, community-based prospective data in ethnic Chinese populations that integrate clinical and cognitive measures with objective biomarkers and neuroimaging, especially at earlier stages such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD. This community-based project aims to establish a cohort of elderly in Hong Kong, with longitudinal follow-up for 2-3 years. A key strength of this research is the incorporation of a panel of blood biomarkers, which will provide a less invasive and more affordable screening tool to identify Alzheimer's disease at a much earlier stage in the community. Additionally, through benchmark with MRI and PET imaging gold standard, these biomarkers have the potential to predict the conversion risk 1) from clinically normal to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD dementia); 2) from clinically MCI to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD dementia) or remain static; and differentiate non-AD dementia from Alzheimer's disease (dementia-AD). Collectively, these data will facilitate monitoring of aging processes and cognitive decline, help to identify candidate modifiable factors associated with resilience, and generate a de-identified, Chinese-specific resource to advance healthy aging in Hong Kong.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Blood biomarker (baseline) — Baseline
  Blood-based biomarkers provide a minimally invasive approach for detecting Alzheimer's disease-related pathology and for monitoring disease progression. Peripheral blood will be analyzed for a core panel that includes p tau217 and a multiplex 21 protein panel, with results generated under predefined quality control specifications.
• Follow up blood biomarker — 24 to 36 months after baseline
  Proportion of longitudinally selected participants who complete the repeat fasting blood collection; report completion rate and reasons for non-completion.

Trial sites (1)

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