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The EPAD project aims to develop an environment for and then test multiple different interventions targeting the secondary prevention of Alzheimer\u2019s disease dementia. EPAD is conducting a Longitudinal Cohort Study (LCS) in alignment with a Bayesian adaptive designed EPAD Proof-of-Concept (PoC) trial. On 27 December 2018, an article presenting the EPAD LCS study protocol has been published online in BMJ Open.<\/p>\n
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European Prevention of Alzheimer\u2019s Dementia Longitudinal Cohort Study (EPAD LCS): study protocol<\/strong><\/p>\n Abstract <\/p>\n
\n<\/u><\/strong>Introduction<\/u>:<\/em> The European Prevention of Alzheimer\u2019s Dementia (EPAD) project is funded initially by the Innovative Medicines Initiative and has been established to overcome the major hurdles hampering drug development for secondary prevention of Alzheimer\u2019s dementia, by conducting the EPAD Longitudinal Cohort Study (LCS) in alignment with the Bayesian adaptive designed EPAD Proof-of-Concept (PoC) trial.
\nMethods and analysis<\/u>:<\/em> EPAD LCS is an ongoing prospective, multicentre, pan-European longitudinal cohort study. Participants are recruited mainly from existing parent cohorts across Europe to form a \u2018probability-spectrum\u2019 population covering the entire continuum of anticipated probability for Alzheimer\u2019s dementia development. The primary objective of the EPAD LCS is to be a readiness cohort for the EPAD PoC trial though a second major objective is to generate a comprehensive and large data set for disease modelling of preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer\u2019s disease. This characterisation of cognitive, biomarker and risk factor (genetic and environmental) status of research participants over time will provide the necessary well-phenotyped population for developing accurate longitudinal models for Alzheimer\u2019s disease covering the entire disease course and concurrently create a pool of highly characterised individuals for the EPAD PoC trial.
\nEthics and dissemination<\/u><\/em>: The study has received the relevant approvals from numerous Institutional Review Boards across Europe. Findings will be disseminated to several target audiences, including the scientific community, research participants, patient community, general public, industry, regulatory authorities and policy-makers. Regular and coordinated releases of EPAD LCS data will be made available for analysis to help researchers improve their understanding of early Alzheimer\u2019s disease stages and facilitate collaborations.
\nTrial registration number<\/u>:<\/em> NCT02804789.<\/p>\n