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. 2022 Dec;18(12):2627-2636.
doi: 10.1002/alz.12617. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

Remote blood collection from older adults in the Brain Health Registry for plasma biomarker and genetic analysis

Juliet Fockler  1   2 , Miriam T Ashford  1   3 , Joseph Eichenbaum  1   2 , Taylor Howell  1   2 , Aniekan Ekanem  1   2 , Derek Flenniken  1   2   3 , Alexander Happ  1   3 , Diana Truran  1   3 , R Scott Mackin  1   4 , Kaj Blennow  5 , Eran Halperin  6 , Giovanni Coppola  7 , Michael W Weiner  1   2 , Rachel L Nosheny  1   4
Affiliations

Remote blood collection from older adults in the Brain Health Registry for plasma biomarker and genetic analysis

Juliet Fockler et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Use of online registries to efficiently identify older adults with cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an approach with growing evidence for feasibility and validity. Linked biomarker and registry data can facilitate AD clinical research.

Methods: We collected blood for plasma biomarker and genetic analysis from older adult Brain Health Registry (BHR) participants, evaluated feasibility, and estimated associations between demographic variables and study participation.

Results: Of 7150 participants invited to the study, 864 (12%) enrolled and 629 (73%) completed remote blood draws. Participants reported high study acceptability. Those from underrepresented ethnocultural and educational groups were less likely to participate.

Discussion: This study demonstrates the challenges of remote blood collection from a large representative sample of older adults. Remote blood collection from > 600 participants within a short timeframe demonstrates the feasibility of our approach, which can be expanded for efficient collection of plasma AD biomarker and genetic data.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; acceptability; aging research; brain health registry; education; engagement; ethnicity; feasibility; genetics; internet; plasma biomarkers; race; research registry.

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Conflict of interest statement

Miriam Ashford, Joseph Eichenbaum, Aniekan Akenam, Derek Flenniken, and Alexander Happ have no conflicts of interest to declare. Juliet Focker has received support from the California Department of Public Health. Taylor Howell has received support for attendance to AAIC from UCSF and support for attendance to CTAD from NCIRE. Diana Truran serves as an NCIRE Audit Committee advisor (unpaid). Scott Mackin has received NIH grant funding for institutional support. Kaj Blennow has received support from Abcam, Axon, Biogen, JOMDD/Shimadzu, Lilly, MagQu, Prothena, GEECD/Roche Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers, IFCC/SNIBE, Julius Clinical, and Novartis. He is the co‐founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program. Eran Halperin has received support from the NIH, NSF, and consulted for KHealth and Ultima Genomics. Giovanni Coppola is a full‐time employee of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Michael Weiner receives support for his work from the following funding sources: NIH, Department of Defense, California Department of Public Health, University of Michigan, Siemens, Biogen, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, and the State of California. He also receives support from Johnson & Johnson, Kevin and Connie Shanahan, VUmc, GE, Australian Catholic University, the Stroke Foundation, and the Veterans Administration. He has served on Advisory Boards for Cerecin/Accera, Roche, Alzheon, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Nestle/Nestec, PCORI/PPRN, Dolby Family Ventures, National Institute on Aging (NIA), Brain Health Registry, and ADNI. He serves on the editorial boards for Alzheimer's & Dementia, Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. He has provided consulting and/or acted as a speaker/lecturer to Cerecin/Accera, Inc., BioClinica, Nestle/Nestec, Roche, Genentech, NIH, The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, FUJIFILM‐Toyama Chemical (Japan), Garfield Weston, Baird Equity Capital, University of Southern California (USC), Cytox, and Japanese Organization for Medical Device Development, Inc. (JOMDD) and T3D Therapeutics. He holds stock options with Alzeca, Alzheon, Inc., and Anven. Rachel Nosheny receives support for her work from the NIH, the California Department of Public Health, and Genentech. This study and manuscript is produced by the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and partner organizations, and partially supported by the California Department of Public Health Alzheimer's Disease Program funding from the 2019 California Budget Act (RFA18‐10612). The content may not reflect the official views or policies of the State of California.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Participant flow. BHR, Brain Health Registry; UCSF, University of California, San Francisco
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Study enrollment. BHR, Brain Health Registry
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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