Real-World Applications

NIH funds research to promote the widespread use of evidence-based interventions

In 2022, NIH announced a funding opportunity to support research, including clinical trials, that examines the barriers to effective translational research and dissemination of evidence-based interventions.

The eligible research includes NIA-supported studies on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The funded research will also offer solutions to ensure that everyone — including underrepresented communities — has the same level of access to therapies and other treatment approaches.

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NIH Stage Model helps structure behavioral intervention research

Many behavioral interventions tested in studies, even those that seem to be very effective, are never disseminated. This happens because of a combination of factors, including challenges in moving from research to community settings, additional research being needed into why and how the intervention works, and an increased focus on scalability in the initial intervention design.

The NIH Stage Model is a framework designed to address this issue, defining the research activities that may be crucial for the development of effective and scalable behavioral interventions as they move through different stages of research. The model outlines six stages of intervention development research addressing basic research relevant to the intervention:

• Intervention creation, adaptation, and pilot testing (including the creation, adaptation, and pilot testing of any necessary procedures for training people in how to deliver the intervention correctly)
• Traditional efficacy testing in controlled research and community settings
• Efficacy testing with real-world providers
• Effectiveness testing under natural, real-world conditions
• Strategy development to promote widespread implementation and dissemination

In 2021, NIA announced funding opportunities, rooted in the NIH Stage Model, to support research and clinical trials for dementia care and ways to ensure that effective interventions can be used widely in the community or in health systems. Studies funded under this opportunity are helping to create and test interventions that address the care needs and promote the well-being of people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and of their caregivers.

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NIH delivers evidence-based health information on Alzheimer’s and related dementias

NIH directly supports dissemination initiatives to provide science-based dementia information that is understandable and actionable. NIA’s Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral Center reached people with current, comprehensive, and evidence-based health information on Alzheimer’s and related dementias in both English and Spanish . NIA also regularly publishes research highlights , which are plain language summaries of research funded or conducted by the institute. Likewise, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) provides health information for the public and summaries of important science advances .

In 2022, NIA hosted a virtual workshop to discuss opportunities and strategies to leverage social networks to disseminate interventions. Attendees focused on methods to encourage behavioral change to promote healthy aging, prevent or slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and provide support for caregivers.

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IMPACT Collaboratory offers growing support for real-world dementia care innovators

One of the biggest challenges to helping people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their care partners is identifying and delivering effective innovations in real-world situations and health care settings. The IMbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory, a fast-evolving NIA-funded program , supports embedded pragmatic (real-world) clinical trials to catalyze improvements in dementia care.

NIA leveraged the network to study this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• One study found that nursing home residents with moderate or severe cognitive impairment who had COVID-19 were twice as likely to die as those with no or mild cognitive impairment.
• Another study tested an intervention to increase COVID-19 vaccination among nursing home residents and staff.

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NINDS initiative raises awareness of dementia risk factors

First launched in 2015, the NINDS Mind Your Risks® campaign is designed to educate the public on the importance of controlling blood pressure, especially during midlife, to help lower the risk of stroke and dementia later in life. The campaign encourages behavior and lifestyle modifications, such as healthy eating, exercising, quitting smoking, and talking to a health care provider, to help develop a blood pressure management plan.

In 2021, NINDS relaunched the Mind Your Risks® campaign to focus on Black men ages 28 to 45, who have a greater risk of high blood pressure. The campaign’s updated website includes engaging social media content, downloadable flyers, an educational video , a discussion guide for medical appointments, and information for health care professionals.

Moving forward, NINDS aims to strengthen its partnerships with community organizations and other federal and nonfederal stakeholders through this campaign to boost the impact of the messaging.

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NIH-funded consortium accelerates science advances into practice

In 2017, NINDS, in collaboration with NIA, established the Consortium for Detecting Cognitive Impairment, Including Dementia (DetectCID) to develop, validate, and implement effective screening tools to help primary care providers diagnose cognitive impairment and dementia. In 2022, researchers from DetectCID published their insights on successful translational research , emphasizing the following points:

• The importance of engaging primary care teams in research
• The need to empower primary care teams to effectively diagnose cognitive disorders and provide ongoing care and support
• The need to integrate newly developed screening tests with electronic health records
• The importance of ensuring that detection approaches address the needs of diverse populations

With DetectCID now in its second phase, consortium research teams are validating their diagnostic tools in a larger number of research participants and aim to recruit at least 50% of participants from racial and ethnic minority groups.

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