Scientists are feverishly working to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease – but they need your help. There’s a critical shortage of volunteers for studies of new treatments.

“One of the biggest issues in keeping new Alzheimer’s drugs from being discovered is a lack of clinical trial participants,” says James Hendrix, director of Global Science Initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, a Chicago-based nonprofit.

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are a huge, and growing, problem in the U.S. About 5.5 million people currently suffer from the mind-wasting conditions, and that number is projected to soar as high as 16 million by 2050.

“We hear over and over again, from both pharma and academia, that they can’t meet their recruitment goals (for studies),” notes Hendrix. “It’s frustrating when you have the funding to do research but you can’t get people to participate.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, some 50,000 people are currently needed to help with more than 100 studies. And you don’t have to suffer from dementia, or even be elderly, to participate.

“There is a study out there for everybody,” says Hendrix. “Not all are drug trials. Some involve doing cognitive testing on your home computer or looking at modifiable risk factors such as diet and exercise. Other studies involve wearable technology or spitting into a cup to provide a genetic profile. It’s a pretty low bar where you don’t have to do much of anything, but the information you provide is very valuable to researchers.”

There are also several benefits to participating. Those with dementia may find a treatment that helps. Others who have no symptoms may discover that they’re either genetically predisposed to getting dementia or are already in the early stages, when intervention is most effective. And no matter what your status, if you volunteer for a study, you’re likely to receive great medical care for free.

“You get world-class, top-of-the-line, gold standard medical treatment,” boasts Hendrix. “Every possible thing that could be measured, will be measured.”

For people with dementia, studies can also help them connect with the world. The disease is often isolating, and participating may help them to engage socially.

“By going to a clinic regularly, they can make friends with the people running the studies and feel part of a team,” says Hendrix. “For a lot of them, it’s probably something they look forward to.”

Some of the pharmaceutical trials even pay participants.

“You won’t get rich, but they may make it worth your time,” says Hendrix.

So with all of those benefits, why do researchers have such a hard time recruiting volunteers?

“One problem is that you often have to recruit both the dementia patient and a care partner, which makes it twice as challenging,” says Hendrix. “Instead of just one person, two have to be able to keep appointments and be responsible for following the protocol at home.”

There is also an issue of exclusion criteria. For example, in many drug trials there are medical conditions that prevent people from participating. And healthy elders may split their time between winter and summer homes, making it impossible for them to participate in studies that require them to be in one place.

Meanwhile, some of the best subjects are difficult to identify.

“Many of the newer drug studies need people in the early stages of dementia when they have few, or no, symptoms,” says Hendrix. “They’re hard to find.”

There are also special legal circumstances. A lot of dementia patients aren’t competent enough to give their consent and need an authorized legal representative.

And despite all precautions – such as animal studies and Food and Drug Administration reviews before going to human trial -- there is an inherent risk in trying experimental therapies.

Still, the benefits are likely to far outweigh the risks.

“Study participants not only get excellent medical care and treatment but can also feel good about doing something to advance science and help mankind,” says Hendrix.

For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association Website. They also offer TrialMatch, a free database for determining which studies may be right for you.