Alzheimer's:
FAQ

If you are interested in volunteering for a clinical trial, you should find out if you are eligible to participate and if it is right for you.

You should keep in mind that each trial has its own rules regarding who can participate. On the other hand, check with your doctor to determine if a certain clinical trial is right for you. If you follow the rules, you will be explained all the details, including the risks, benefits and requirements to participate in it.

You will then be asked to sign an informed consent form to record to prove that you understand what the trial entails and you are willing to participate.

Participants will have the opportunity to access new treatments and new, innovative diagnosis techniques, currently unavailable to the rest of the population, which might help with the development of their illness and improve their quality of life.

In addition, they will receive much more thorough, personalised medical monitoring with more frequent check-ups. Besides, participating in a clinical study will help other people with the same condition in the future, as it provides valuable data on how the treatment and the illness are advancing.

The treatments in a clinical trial must have been tested previously in laboratories and in preliminary phases to guarantee their safety.

All studies must be approved by the strict standards of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the organisation which guarantees that people who decide to participate are treated in the safest possible way.

They also have to be approved by an ethics committee. Prior to participation in a clinical study, a full health check is carried out to reduce risks during the trial. The results of all tests have to be accepted; otherwise, the person will not be able to participate.

All of this doesn’t mean that it is impossible for potential risks to arise during their participation in the study. Therefore, all participants will have to sign an informed consent form which makes explicit their understanding of the risks and benefits involved in participation in a study.

Clinical trials are studies designed to understand the effects of a drug or procedure being researched. In order to participate in one of these studies, a number of procedures must be carried out, depending on the particular research protocol.

The person with dementia and the primary carer must attend all visits in the study, and inform the doctor running the trial of any change in the patient’s life, or any possible side effects that may arise.

Participation in a research study is free and voluntary. All the information gathered will be treated confidentially.