Association between trust of researchers and willingness to participate in Alzheimer’s disease biomarker research

A new study has found that trust in researchers is the strongest factor influencing whether older adults are willing to participate in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) biomarker research. In a survey of 399 older adults with no previous research involvement, those who expressed very high trust were significantly less hesitant to take part in studies, even after accounting for differences in age, education, race and knowledge of ADRD.

Participants with higher trust were more willing to undergo procedures such as brain scans, blood draws and genetic testing, and they showed greater interest in receiving personal results from memory and brain imaging tests. Those with lower trust were more likely to have concerns about privacy and the risks of research procedures.

The study also revealed that simply knowing more about ADRD did not increase willingness to participate, underscoring trust as an independent and essential factor. Offering personal health results was more effective at encouraging participation among those who already had higher trust, while incentives like travel vouchers or standard lab results had little impact.

These findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, highlight the critical role of building trust between researchers and communities to increase participation in studies that are essential for advancing early detection and treatment of ADRD. Strengthening trust through transparent communication and strong community partnerships may help accelerate progress in developing effective therapies.