There are three activities that we will ask you to repeat for however long the ISLAND Project lasts. 1. your annual surveys, 2. a blood donation and 3. your online cognitive assessments.
By the end of the ISLAND Project, we hope to have data from a large number of participants for all three of these activities and that have been repeated annually, or every two years. This will allow us to analyse changes in thinking and memory, blood biomarkers, and a range of modifiable risks in the dementia risk profile over a long period of time. Being able to compare these three datasets at different intervals will give us the best possible quality of data.
One thing we hope to find is whether the people who make the most changes in their lifestyle to reduce their risk profile have the least changes in their memory and other cognitive tests. This will be one of many possible positive findings that might result from your involvement in ISLAND.
Should I be concerned if I cannot complete the cognitive tests?
There is no need to be concerned – please keep in mind that these tests are for experimental research needs and aren’t designed to be clinical tests in their current form. They can make your brain work very hard at times, and that can help us determine an accurate measure of cognitive abilities. We also appreciate that completing these tests on a computer can also add an additional challenge for some participants. We would be very grateful if you may still be able to attempt these tests to the best of your ability – this will provide valuable data that will help advance our understanding of aging and cognitive change, adding to a very exciting field of research globally.
As always, if you do have any concerns about your cognition, please make an appointment with your GP.