Dementia affects over 850,000 people in the UK (one in three people over the age of 65). Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, and the CHARIOT Register aims to facilitate the involvement of elderly people in dementia prevention research. The CHARIOT Register is a research register of cognitively healthy individuals between the ages of 60 and 85 who are interested and willing to participate in future studies in relation to dementia prevention.
Recruitment to the CHARIOT Register is primarily conducted through primary care facilities. The CHARIOT register team approaches General Practices (GPs) throughout greater London to seek their cooperation in identifying eligible individuals. Eligible individuals are sent an invitation letter with an information sheet and consent form via post. Upon consenting to join the Register, their details are collected and securely stored in the CHARIOT Register. Participants are then invited to join studies focusing on the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. The Register currently consists of 25,000+ individuals from 130 GPs. At present, three studies are being conducted with over 1,000 Register participants. In addition to being at the forefront of dementia prevention research, participants also benefit from regular newsletters with up-to-date information on current studies and new research.