Preprint · Jan 9, 2025
PROTECT Norge: Online assessment of cognition and dementia risk factors in 3000 Norwegian adults over 50 (Preprint)
By Testad I, Aakre JA, Gjestsen MT et al.
UNSTRUCTURED Objective: With the growing number of older people in the Norwegian population and the associated rapid rise in dementia and cognitive impairment, novel and more efficient methodologies are needed to facilitate research, improve diagnostic triage and deliver effective brain health interventions in the community. Methods: PROTECT-Norge is an online, remote cohort study in adults aged 50 and over building upon the PROTECT-UK infrastructure and cross-culturally adapted for a Norwegian population. At-home assessments of cognition are completed annually using validated computerized neuropsychological tests (including Paired Associate Learning, Self-Ordered Search, Digit Span and Verbal Reasoning). Demographic data (age, gender, ethnicity, education, height, weight), medical and lifestyle information are also collected, with additional emphasis on sleep in PROTECT-Norge. Results: The current article describes analysis of baseline data from the first 3000 participants recruited to PROTECT-Norge (74.5% female, mean age 64.1 sd 7.7). It demonstrates that established risk factors for dementia such as Body Mass Index > 30, hypertension, smoking, and hearing loss are associated with significant detriments on cognitive performance on the computerized neuropsychological test battery. The level of data capture was excellent, and 94% of participants agreed to be contacted for further research programmes. Conclusion: This data shows excellent feasibility of the PROTECT-Norge cohort, demonstrating high completion rates and accessibility for people with early cognitive impairment. PROTECT-Norge represents a tremendous opportunity for cost-efficient, large-scale brain health research and potentially for clinical digital cognitive health programmes.