ALZHEIMER'S & BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BRAIN HEALTH

Innovative APT Webstudy provides opportunity to get involved in clinical research and monitor brain health online

SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 7 million people in America are living with Alzheimer's disease—the highest number in our nation's history, according to an Alzheimer's Association 2026 report—and that number is expected to more than double by 2050. While there is no cure, Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month is a reminder that anyone can contribute to their own healthy aging by taking an active role in monitoring their brain health.

The Alzheimer Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy is an innovative research study that uses periodic online tests and assessments to monitor memory and cognitive behavior over time from the comfort and convenience of the participants' own homes. Researchers say proactive, regular brain health monitoring could reveal changes, like signs of early memory loss, while they're still limited or minor. The APT Webstudy empowers people 50 years of age or older to become active participants in their healthy aging journey and in clinical research aimed at eventually preventing Alzheimer's disease.

"Thanks to the contributions of thousands of volunteers worldwide, we're in a new age of Alzheimer's research where we have tests and treatments that can help change the course of this devastating disease," said Paul Aisen, MD, director of the USC Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute and one of the APT Webstudy's lead investigators. "This study allows people to dip their toe into clinical research while having the benefit of someone monitoring their memory and potentially referring them to diagnostic tools, other research studies, and potential treatments, if needed."

When information captured in the Webstudy suggests that a participant may be eligible for a clinical trial, researchers may invite the participant to visit a local lab for further evaluation, such as blood biomarker testing. Researchers may also recommend that participants be fast-tracked into another study or Alzheimer's clinical trial if they qualify. If no changes in memory or cognition are detected, participants can continue to engage in the Webstudy to monitor their memory as they age—providing added peace of mind.

"Alzheimer's disease is hugely personal to me because my mother is living with it right now," said Lupe Morales, an APT Webstudy participant. "That's why I am so dedicated to participating in Alzheimer's research and encourage others to join the movement, too. I hope that one day, thanks to clinical research, my children can live in a world without this disease."

Those who sign up for the APT Webstudy answer a brief questionnaire addressing factors known to be linked to Alzheimer's disease risk and take a 20-minute set of online assessments testing their current cognitive health. Participants are then asked to repeat the online tests at periodic intervals. To participate in the APT Webstudy or for more information, please visit www.APTWebstudy.org. The APT Webstudy was launched with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes of Health, and is sustained by the generous support of the Epstein Family Foundation and Gates Ventures.

About the APT Webstudy
The APT Webstudy was launched with funding from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes of Health. Ongoing support is generously provided by the Epstein Family Foundation and Gates Ventures. The APT Webstudy is led by researchers from the Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Cleveland Clinic.

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SOURCE USC Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute