INTRODUCTION: The objective of this pilot study was to establish the feasibility of recruiting older Vietnamese Americans for research addressing genetic and nongenetic risk factors for Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: Twenty-six Vietnamese Americans were recruited from communities in San Diego. A Community Advisory Board provided cultural and linguistic advice. Bilingual/bicultural staff measured neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, lifestyle, and medical/neurological functioning remotely. Saliva samples allowed DNA extraction. A consensus team reviewed clinical data to determine a diagnosis of normal control (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia. Exploratory analyses addressed AD risk by measuring subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), depression, and vascular risk factors (VRFs). RESULTS: Twenty-five participants completed the study (mean age=73.8 y). Eighty percent chose to communicate in Vietnamese. Referrals came primarily from word of mouth within Vietnamese communities. Diagnoses included 18 NC, 3 MCI, and 4 dementia. Participants reporting SCC acknowledged more depressive symptoms and had greater objective cognitive difficulty than those without SCC. Eighty-eight percent of participants reported at least 1 VRF. DISCUSSION: This pilot study supports the feasibility of conducting community-based research in older Vietnamese Americans. Challenges included developing linguistically and culturally appropriate cognitive and neuropsychiatric assessment tools. Exploratory analyses addressing nongenetic AD risk factors suggest topics for future study.

Introduction

Clinical research in Alzheimer's disease (AD) lacks cohort diversity despite being a global health crisis. The Asian Cohort for Alzheimer's Disease (ACAD) was formed to address underrepresentation of Asians in research, and limited understanding of how genetics and non-genetic/lifestyle factors impact this multi-ethnic population.

Methods

The ACAD started fully recruiting in October 2021 with one central coordination site, eight recruitment sites, and two analysis sites. We developed a comprehensive study protocol for outreach and recruitment, an extensive data collection packet, and a centralized data management system, in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Results

ACAD has recruited 606 participants with an additional 900 expressing interest in enrollment since program inception.

Discussion

ACAD's traction indicates the feasibility of recruiting Asians for clinical research to enhance understanding of AD risk factors. ACAD will recruit > 5000 participants to identify genetic and non-genetic/lifestyle AD risk factors, establish blood biomarker levels for AD diagnosis, and facilitate clinical trial readiness.

Highlights

The Asian Cohort for Alzheimer's Disease (ACAD) promotes awareness of under-investment in clinical research for Asians. We are recruiting Asian Americans and Canadians for novel insights into Alzheimer's disease. We describe culturally appropriate recruitment strategies and data collection protocol. ACAD addresses challenges of recruitment from heterogeneous Asian subcommunities. We aim to implement a successful recruitment program that enrolls across three Asian subcommunities.