Participants

Participants who take part will be provided with a stool sample collection kit at their in-home interview. They will bring the samples with them when they visit the Data Collection for physical assessments. At the Data Collection Site, they will complete some additional memory tests, which take about 20 minutes.

Following the Data Collection Site visit, a one-hour MRI appointment will be scheduled at an MRI facility located near the Data Collection Site.

The brain MRI, additional memory tests and stool samples are being collected with funding for a sub-study called the Healthy Brains Healthy Aging Initiative. The Healthy Brains, Healthy Aging Initiative is supported through a $12-million grant from the Weston Family Foundation. It will include 6,000 CLSA participants who will be asked to undergo brain imaging, additional memory tests and stool sample analysis. The initiative aims to collect data that, when added to the other data the CLSA is collecting, will shed light on how lifestyle factors – such as sleep, physical activity and diet – influence healthy cognitive aging.

You should not have an MRI if you have any of the following items implanted in your body:

• Cardiac pacemaker, wires, or a defibrillator
• Metal fragment in the eye or orbit
• Brain aneurysm clip
• Stainless steel Intrauterine Device (IUD)
• Artificial heart valve
• Eye or ear implant
• Implanted drug infusion pump
• Shunt
• Electrical stimulator for nerves or bones
• Coil, catheter or filter in any blood vessel
• Orthopedic hardware (artificial joint, plate, screws, rods)
• Other metallic prosthesis
• Shrapnel, bullets, or other metallic fragments
• Stent
• Participants who have any of the implants listed above cannot participate in the study.
• You should also not have an MRI if you are pregnant or suffer from claustrophobia.

It is not possible to sign up for this data collection. Only eligible CLSA participants will be invited to take part.

Please contact the CLSA at info@clsa-elcv.ca or by phone at 1-866-999-8303. One of our team members will be able to place you on our calling lists for this questionnaire.

If you are having issues with the web survey, please try the following:

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• If your web browser is not compatible with this application, please try using a different device, computer, or browser. If you cannot use a different device, computer, or web browser please contact the CLSA by email at info@clsa-elcv.ca or telephone at 1-866-999-8303. One of our team members will be able to place you on our calling lists for this questionnaire.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether information that is collected through CLSA interviews can be used to correctly identify individuals who have memory problems and individuals without memory problems.

Approximately 600 participants from the 11 CLSA Data Collection Sites in Canada will take part in the study.

It is not possible to sign up for the CLSA Memory Study. Only eligible participants will be invited to take part.

No, participants in the study will not receive a medical diagnosis. If the study clinician identifies a potential concern about your memory, you will be given a letter about the study and some of your individual results that you can share with your family doctor.

If you do not have a family doctor, the study clinician will provide you with some suggested resources regarding the potential concern about your memory.

You will not get any direct personal benefit from taking part in the CLSA Memory Study.

Your participation in the CLSA Memory Study will contribute to potentially developing new ways to identify individuals with memory problems, even if they have not been diagnosed by a physician.

There are no direct medical risks associated with participation in this study.

Some participants may feel tired or frustrated during the medical assessment with the study clinician. If you need a break during the medical assessment, please ask the study clinician.

Some participants may feel worried about if the study clinician will identify a potential concern about their memory. Participants identified as having a potential concern about their memory will have an opportunity to speak with the study clinician to discuss their concerns.