Rural Brain Health
Bringing dementia research to where rural elders already live
The Northwest Rural Brain Health Initiative is a University of Washington longitudinal study following older adults in rural communities across the WWAMI region over time, to understand cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in a population that dementia research has largely left out.
80%
higher relative risk of dementia for rural vs. urban residents
97%
U.S. landmass is considered rural
59.5M
Americans live in a rural community
10.5M
rural Americans over the age of 65
The Gap
Rural America has been left out of dementia research
Underrepresented in research
Nearly a fifth of the U.S. population lives in a rural community, yet rural-dwelling older adults remain severely underrepresented in AD/ADRD research.
Diagnosed later, if at all
Those living in rural communities are often diagnosed later in the disease course, if they are diagnosed at all, and survival after diagnosis is shorter.
Mortality rising faster
Mortality from AD/ADRD is rising faster in rural areas, now exceeding rates in metropolitan areas, with the sharpest increases among rural Black and Hispanic communities.
What is driving these disparities is still poorly understood.
Our Approach
A study built around rural life, not around a clinic visit
We bring the study to a network of community partners across the region, rather than asking rural elders to travel to Seattle.
Population
Community-dwelling adults age 55 and older whose current, primary residence is in a rural community.
Study Design
A longitudinal, observational study. We follow the same participants over time, seeing them once every 2 years.
What a Visit Involves
Visits take about 3 hours and include an interview, cognitive testing, questionnaires about your health, and a brief interview with someone who knows you well. We also draw blood for clinical labs and other biomarkers of brain health.
Regional Network
We partner with clinics and providers who already care for rural-dwelling elders, bringing the study into relationships that already exist rather than building new ones from scratch.
For Participants
What you receive for taking part
Participation is voluntary and comes at no cost to you. In return, every participant receives:
Routine clinical labs
Standard bloodwork at no cost, run through the same clinical process your doctor would order.
Detailed cognitive assessment
In-depth testing of memory and thinking, not a brief screening.
Health Summary
An expert classification of cognitive status and a summary of your general health, shared with you and, if you choose, your provider.
Dementia education
Plain-language resources about brain health and what the warning signs of AD/ADRD actually look like.
Lifestyle feedback
A look at the factors in your daily life that research connects to brain health.
A financial incentive
Compensation for your time at each study visit.
Where We Operate
Building a regional network
The Initiative is growing one community at a time. Today, we operate a single site, with plans to add at least two more in the Pacific Northwest as the study expands.
Shelton, Washington
Visits are conducted at Mason General Hospital, part of Mason Health.
Second Site
Location to be announced as the Initiative expands.
Third Site
Location to be announced as the Initiative expands.