Dementia Clinical Trials

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined by lower performance in one or more cognitive domains with preservation of independence in functional abilities. Sixteen percent of community-dwelling older people (over 65 years) live with MCI. They are both cognitively and physically vulnerable. From a cognitive perspective, they are susceptible to converting to the dementia stage at an annual rate of 10%. From a physical perspective, the proportion of slow gait or neurological gait abnormalities can reach 46% in the population with MCI. Falls in turn increase the risk of accelerated cognitive decline and the risk of institutionalization. In the absence of a curative treatment for dementia, it is essential to have an effective and personalized prevention strategy by identifying the predictive factors for falls in this at-risk population with MCI. The research goals of this project are 1) to identify specific predictors for falls in clinic attendees with MCI in preparation for a definitive, fully powered study across France, and 2) to demonstrate the feasibility of a pragmatic fall risk assessment in MCs, whatever its setting and location. We aim to prospectively follow-up people diagnosed with MCI and aged above 65 years old in four MCs in France (three in the North (one community-based MC), and one in the Centre) for one year.