Building better tools for cognitive assessment

Alex Dyer is an Assistant Psychologist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. He is the Study Coordinator for CoCoA (Computerised cognitive assessments in neurodegenerative disorders). The study is led by Chief Investigator and Consultant Neuropsychologist Rupert Noad.

Alex and the team used Join Dementia Research to boost recruitment to the long-running study. 

Can you tell us about the CoCoA study and its focus?

“In the study, we’re aiming to develop and test computerised methods of cognitive assessment for people with neurodegenerative disorders. These can include Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This has clinical importance, as we are striving to increase the sensitivity of the tests that we use, to allow earlier diagnosis. Ultimately, this is to benefit patient care.

“CoCoA is a nested cohort study. This means we recruit multiple groups of people living with different neurological disorders. It's actually been running for quite a few years - since around 2012 - and we continue to open up new cohorts.”

How many volunteers were you looking for in your most recent follow-up study?

“Our most recent cohort, which we completed last year, required us to recruit 66 participants within a few months. We needed 3 distinct groups of 22 people each: healthy controls, individuals with an Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis, and volunteers who had positive testing for beta amyloid, which is a potential precursor for Alzheimer's. So, we had quite complex criteria to meet in a relatively short timeframe.”

How did Join Dementia Research help you meet these challenging targets?

“Join Dementia Research has been very helpful for us. What we found particularly useful for this cohort was that Join Dementia Research was able to provide the data in a way that aligned with our required groups. Join Dementia Research gave us a list of potential volunteers who match those criteria. We could then pre-screen them based on their profile information, before making contact.

“The platform’s ability to connect us with interested participants across the country was invaluable. This meant we were able to meet our target.”

How did Join Dementia Research allow you to offer the study to more people beyond your local area? 

“Since COVID-19, we've moved towards using remote assessments and participation visits. Join Dementia Research, as well as the Be Part of Research registry, have allowed us to contact people from anywhere in the country. This means we aren’t restricted to volunteers in the South West. The combination really is a gamechanger.

“Travel can be a significant barrier for participants and their families - something that’s particularly the case in the South West. This way of recruiting made participation accessible for people from different areas.

“Join Dementia Research really helped us reach underserved populations who may live far from a hospital or face other limitations. This is especially relevant for people with dementia.”  

Could you use Join Dementia Research to help recruit to your study? Visit our ‘Researchers’ page for more information.