The Project Talk Trial expands beginning early Fall 2022 to include individuals with mild cognitive impairment at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias (ADRD). This expansion is made possible through supplemental funding by the National Institutes of Health.
Unlike the ongoing main Project Talk Trial that compares the effectiveness of two advance care planning (ACP) interventions and a control intervention in underserved communities, the supplement will test only one of the Project Talk ACP interventions—the Hello conversation game—in underserved communities.
In seeking to expand the trial, Project Talk Trial investigators hypothesized that, based on previous data collected from those who played Hello, the Hello game’s design is likely to provide a safe, non-threatening way for those with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD and their loved ones to talk about goals and values related to medical care.
Individuals with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD are among those most in need of urgent ACP before further cognitive impairment results in loss of decision-making ability. In addition, understanding the best way to facilitate such conversations is important because of the rise in dementia diagnoses, particularly in underserved populations. The main trial excludes individuals with cognitive impairment due to concerns related to how the main trial is conducted.
The goal of this supplement is to gather information that will inform adaption of the Hello intervention to suit the needs of those with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD. To reach this goal, the supplement will have two phases: the first will test the current version of the Hello game with individuals with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD. Based on Phase 1 data, investigators and researchers will refine the Hello game in Phase 2 with game designers, Common Practice, to be appropriate for those with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD.
Completion of this study will lay the groundwork for future research that can evaluate advance care planning tools to serve individuals with mild cognitive impairment at risk for ADRD. Those participating in the trial—individuals with cognitive impairment, their care partners, and supporting care organizations—will be contributing to the advancement of science and improved care for those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Organizations interested in becoming involved in the project should email info@projecttalktrial.org.