The Canadian therapeutic platform trial for multidomain interventions to prevent dementia:
Brain health support program intervention

Prior studies have shown that programs that focus on promoting brain health and managing lifestyle risks (such as poor diet, obesity, physical inactivity, sleep issues, loneliness) may help in preventing or lowering the risk of dementia. To address this, the CAN-THUMBS UP program was developed to conduct studies that target lifestyle risk and focus on dementia prevention.

Study summary

CAN-THUMBS UP is a prevention study for people who are at risk of dementia. The study remotely collects clinical, neuropsychological, daily activity, and sleep EEG data as well as saliva samples from participants. Participants who are willing may undergo in-person testing. A follow-up telephone check will be conducted at 3, 6 and 9 months and the baseline procedures will be repeated after 1 year of BHSP intervention.

The major goals of the study are:

Overall goal:

  • To develop a cohort who will initially participate in a 12-month web-based Brain Health Support Program (BHSP), called Brain Health PRO (BHPro), focused on lifestyle and dementia risk factors and may then be eligible to participate in interventional dementia prevention trials.

Current objectives:

  • To determine user change in dementia literacy after participation in BHPro

  • To evaluate the user acceptance and outcomes of the BHSP intervention

  • To determine the feasibility of using remote measures of cognition, everyday function, sleep and motor activity within the BHSP intervention

Participant Groups

CAN-THUMBS UP is targeting participants who do not have dementia:

  • Cognitively Intact

  • Cognitively Intact plus Subjective Cognitive Impairment

  • Mild Cognitive Impairment

AND are increased risk of dementia based on at least one of the following:

  • First-degree family history of dementia

  • Self-Reported or documented current and/or history at midlife (45-60) on any of the following risk factors:

    • Hypertension > 140 mm Hg
    • Hypercholesterolemia > 6.5 mmol/L
    • Body Mass Index > 30 kg/m2
    • Physical Inactivity (active is defined as engaging in a minimum of 20- 30 min of physical activity causing sweating and breathlessness, at least 2 times a week)

Site details

Participants in CAN-THUMBS UP will be recruited from sites across Canada. The CAN-THUMBS UP BHSP study will be conducted fully remotely, and is available to all Canadians with access to reliable internet connection.

Recruitment

CAN-THUMBS UP BHSP started enrolment in April 2022 and completed enrolment of over 350 participants in December 2022. Results will be available soon!

Interested?

The first phase of our recruitment is closed. Please visit canthumbsup.ca to fill in the contact form if you would like to be contacted about related phases or studies.

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