Affiliations: [a] Department of Geriatrics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| [b] Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| [c] Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, Institute for Professional Sport Education and Sport Qualifications, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
| [d] Faculty for Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore QLD, Australia
| [e] Mercer’s Institute for Research on Aging, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Prof. Dr. Marcel G.M. Olde Rikkert, Department Geriatric Medicine/ Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Radboud university medical centre Nijmegen, Postbox 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail: Marcel.OldeRikkert@Radboudumc.nl.
Abstract: Prevention trials in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), especially lifestyle interventions, can be difficult to carry out, particularly the recruitment and retention of subjects. We experienced these challenges in our multi-site one-year exercise trial in MCI, NeuroExercise. Trial recruitment rates differed significantly across sites; the non-medical sport university site, providing free access to a range of group exercise in a sports environment, proved far more successful than memory clinics linked to hospitals. This suggests that non-medical settings and a non-medical research community facilitating physical activities may be important factors in recruitment of subjects with MCI for large prevention trials.
