07 Feb 2002

The Alzheimer's Disease Anti-inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT), a clinical research study that will test a possible link between the use of certain anti-inflammatory pain relievers and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, began on January 30 at four study centers across the country. Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, the ADAPT is recruiting participants for the trial, which will be conducted at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland; the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York; Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts; and Sun Health Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

The trial will enroll 2,625 healthy participants who have a family history of Alzheimer's disease. As of November 2001, the study had recruited just over 300 patients. The patients will be followed up to seven years and will receive medical and neurological evaluations as well as memory testing annually. Participants will take Aleve (220 mg naproxen sodium), an over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), Celebrex (200 mg celecoxib) a prescription NSAID that is a selective COX-2 inhibitor, or a placebo.

Study participants must:

• Be age 70 or older;
• Have a biological parent, brother or sister who has or had serious, age-related memory loss, dementia, senility or Alzheimer's disease;
• Have NOT been diagnosed with dementia, senility or Alzheimer's disease;
• Live near a study site, or be able to travel to a study site up to three times a year.

To learn more about participating in the ADAPT study: Call toll-free: 866-2-STOP-AD (866-278-6723), or visit http://www.2stopAD.org.