THE RECRUITMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN A CLINICAL TRIAL EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF DISCLOSING AMYLOID IMAGING RESULTS. (11th November 2018) - CoCroft, S
Abstract: Given that African Americans continue to be underrepresented in clinical studies, it is important to develop targeted strategies designed to increase accessibility to participation in clinical research. The Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Bryan ADRC) through its Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Registry (ADPR) has established a representative cohort of racially and ethnically diverse "research ready" volunteers willing to participate in a variety of clinical trials. Utilizing a community-engagement approach to accelerate enrollment in clinical trials, the ADPR has demonstrated the successful recruitment and retention of cognitively healthy volunteers, including African Americans. In anticipation of a study involving the disclosure of amyloid PET imaging results to cognitively healthy individuals, we conducted a survey of a subset of ADPR registrants already involved in research to explore differences in reported willingness to participate across diverse racial groups. Participants (N=804; 84.64% White and 15.4% African American) completed neuropsychological testing and a six-item survey assessing willingness to participate in clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker research directed towards evaluating the future risk of AD. Whites and African Americans did not differ in willingness to participate in AD biomarker research. Compared to Whites, African Americans reported fewer concerns about future memory decline and were less likely to participate in studies involving multiple visits over a six-month period. Our study found a link between community partnerships and participation among African Americans. In contrast to previous research, our study found no differences between Whites and African Americans in willingness to participate in AD biomarker research.