TGen scientist wants a million people to take his (online) Alzheimer’s test
Matthew Huentelman wants a million people worldwide to take his test. He has about 992,400 more to go.
The Phoenix resident is building a database to collect information and study how cognition and memory change as people age. The goal? Help find a cure for Alzheimers disease and other brain disorders.
Huentelman, a scientific researcher at Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute, founded MindCrowd a mass online scientific study aimed at studying memory in relation to genetics. Its the first of its kind, he says.
Before we can discover new treatments for brain-related diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, we need to understand the human genetic blueprint DNA that determines how the brain works in healthy individuals, he said. Then, we will be better equipped to develop new medicines and therapies for individuals with brain disorders.
The results so far have supported his hypothesis: Test performance decreases with age.
he test
Goal: Reach 1 million individuals from ages 18 to 80 to discover how the way people remember things might change as they age.
Details: mindcrowd.org
Length: About 10 minutes.
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