Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable

NeuroCare Community Project: A Community Based Prospective Observational Study for Early Alzheimer's Detection in HK

China2,500 participantsStarted 2026-02-01

Plain-language summary

Population aging is reshaping societal dynamics and presents significant global challenges. By 2050, it is projected that 1.6 billion people worldwide will be over the age of 65. Given that aging is the primary risk factor for many common chronic diseases, reducing the burden of age-related illnesses and promoting healthy aging have become critical public health priorities. Notably, Hong Kong has one of the largest proportions of elderly and the highest life expectancy in the world. Dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a multifaceted condition influenced by both biological and behavioral factors. There is a paucity of robust, community-based prospective data in ethnic Chinese populations that integrate clinical and cognitive measures with objective biomarkers and neuroimaging, especially at earlier stages such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD. This community-based project aims to establish a cohort of elderly in Hong Kong, with longitudinal follow-up for 2-3 years. A key strength of this research is the incorporation of a panel of blood biomarkers, which will provide a less invasive and more affordable screening tool to identify Alzheimer's disease at a much earlier stage in the community. Additionally, through benchmark with MRI and PET imaging gold standard, these biomarkers have the potential to predict the conversion risk 1) from clinically normal to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD dementia); 2) from clinically MCI to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD dementia) or remain static; and differentiate non-AD dementia from Alzheimer's disease (dementia-AD). Collectively, these data will facilitate monitoring of aging processes and cognitive decline, help to identify candidate modifiable factors associated with resilience, and generate a de-identified, Chinese-specific resource to advance healthy aging in Hong Kong.

Who can participate

Age range60 Years – 75 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion Criteria: * Mentally capable of providing informed consent, with or without an informant present * Willing and able to undergo blood draw and complete study related assessments; willing to be contacted for follow-up Exclusion Criteria: * Lacks capacity to consent even with an informant present * Refuses or is unable to provide blood samples or complete essential assessments * Currently enrolled in another clinical trial that could interfere with this study * Known illness that prevents longitudinal follow up or uncontrolled medical illness such as neurodevelopmental disorder, neurodegenerative disease, epilepsy, central nervous system infection, neuroinflammatory diseases, brain tumor, cerebrovascular diseases, history of major psychiatric illness, history of major head injury with altered consciousness, sexually transmitted disease including HIV and syphilis, visual and auditory disability, history of alcohol dependence, substance use disorder, systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, or malignancy. * Active delirium or evidence of reversible/secondary causes of cognitive impairment (e.g., vitamin B12 deficiency, hypothyroidism) until treated/ stabilized

What they're measuring

Blood biomarker (baseline)

Timeframe: Baseline

Follow up blood biomarker

Timeframe: 24 to 36 months after baseline

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07347574

SponsorHong Kong University of Science and Technology

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2030-12-30

Contact for this trial

Nancy Ip, PhD

+852-23587304 boip@ust.hk