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Intervention for a Digital, Cognitive, Multi-Domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity Study: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Gray M, Madero EN, Gills JL, Paulson S, Jones MD, Campitelli A, Myers J, Bott NT et al.. JMIR research protocols, 2022-02-04
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background In the United States, more than 6 million adults live with Alzheimer disease (AD) that affects 1 out of every 3 older adults. Although there is no cure for AD currently, lifestyle-based interventions aimed at slowing the rate of cognitive decline or delaying the onset of AD have shown promising results. However, most studies primarily focus on older adults (>55 years) and use in-person interventions. Objective The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a 2-year digital lifestyle intervention on AD risk among at-risk middle-aged and older adults (45-75 years) compared with a health education control. Methods The lifestyle intervention consists of a digitally delivered, personalized health coaching program that directly targets the modifiable risk factors for AD. The primary outcome measure is AD risk as determined by the Australian National University-Alzheimer Disease Risk Index; secondary outcome measures are functional fitness, blood biomarkers (inflammation, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides), and cognitive function (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and Neurotrack Cognitive Battery). Screening commenced in January 2021 and was completed in June 2021. Results Baseline characteristics indicate no difference between the intervention and control groups for AD risk (mean -1.68, SD 7.31; P=.90). Conclusions The intervention in the Digital, Cognitive, Multi-domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity is uniquely designed to reduce the risk of AD through a web-based health coaching experience that addresses the modifiable lifestyle-based risk factors. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04559789; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04559789. International registered report identifier (irrid) DERR1-10.2196/31841.
Key findings
- Although there is no cure for AD currently, lifestyle-based interventions aimed at slowing the rate of cognitive decline or delaying the onset of AD have shown promising results.
- Objective The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a 2-year digital lifestyle intervention on AD risk among at-risk middle-aged and older adults (45-75 years) compared with a health education control.
- Results Baseline characteristics indicate no difference between the intervention and control groups for AD risk (mean -1.68, SD 7.31; P=.90).
Why it matters
This is a protocol for a planned 2-year digital lifestyle intervention in at-risk middle-aged and older adults, compared with health education. Baseline results showed no difference between groups in Alzheimer risk, so no outcomes on treating, curing, or preventing the disease are available yet.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (JMIR research protocols) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | JMIR Research Protocols: journal h-index 62 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 15 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Jordan M. Glenn: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville: institution h-index 469 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35119374) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Gray, M., Madero, E. N., Gills, J. L., Paulson, S., Jones, M. D., Campitelli, A., et al. (2022). Intervention for a Digital, Cognitive, Multi-Domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity Study: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR research protocols. https://doi.org/10.2196/31841
Vancouver
Gray M, Madero EN, Gills JL, Paulson S, Jones MD, Campitelli A, et al. Intervention for a Digital, Cognitive, Multi-Domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity Study: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR research protocols. 2022. doi:10.2196/31841. PMID: 35119374.
BibTeX
@article{gray2022-35119374,
author = {Gray, M. and Madero, E. N. and Gills, J. L. and Paulson, S. and Jones, M. D. and Campitelli, A. and Myers, J. and Bott, N. T. and others},
title = {{Intervention for a Digital, Cognitive, Multi-Domain Alzheimer Risk Velocity Study: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial}},
journal = {JMIR research protocols},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.2196/31841},
pmid = {35119374},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/31841}
}
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