This is an EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) project. The project is supported through the following funding organisations under the aegis of JPND - www.jpnd.eu. Germany, Ministry of Education and Research, Ireland, Health research board, Italy, Ministry of Health, the Netherlands, The Netherlands organization for Health Research and Development, Sweden, The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Norway, The Research Council of Norway, Portugal, Foundation for Science and Technology, United Kingdom, Economic and Social Research Council.
The Actifcare Consortium partners are:
Coordinator: Maastricht University (NL): Frans Verhey, professor (scientific coordinator, WP1 leader)
Consortium members:
Maastricht University (NL): Marjolein de Vugt, Claire Wolfs, Ron Handels, Liselot Kerpershoek.
Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE): Gabriele Meyer (WP2 leader), Astrid Stephan, Anja Bieber, Anja Broda, Gabriele Bartoszek.
Bangor University (UK): Bob Woods (WP3 leader), Martin Orrell, Hannah Jelley.
Karolinska Institutet (SE): Anders Wimo (WP4 leader), Anders Sköldunger, Britt-Marie Sjölund,
Oslo University Hospital (NW): Knut Engedal,, Geir Selbaek (WP5 leader), Mona Michelet, Janne Rosvik, Siren Eriksen
Dublin City University (IE): Kate Irving (WP6 leader), Louise Hopper, Rachael Joyce
CEDOC, Nova Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT): Manuel Gonçalves-Pereira, Maria J. Marques, M. Conceição Balsinha, Ana Machado, on behalf of the Portuguese Actifcare team (FCT-JPND-HC/0001/2012).
Alzheimer’s Research Unit-Memory Clinic, IRCCS “Centro S.Giovanni di Dio (IT): Orazio Zanetti, Elisa Portolani
Funding
The project is supported through the following funding organizations under the aegis of JPND - www.jpnd.eu. Germany, Ministry of Education and Research, Ireland, Health research board, Italy, Ministry of Health, the Netherlands, The Netherlands organization for Health Research and Development, Sweden, The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Norway, The Research Council of Norway, Portugal, Foundation for Science and Technology, (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT - JPND-HC/0001/2012), United Kingdom, Economic and Social Research Council. JPND has read and approved of the protocol of the Actifcare study.
Availability of data and materials
The raw data supporting our findings are held at the trial units in each country as paper copies of the questionnaires, and are stored online in a MACRO database via a secure web-based interface.
Authors’ contributions
LK drafted this manuscript. MdV, CW, BW, GM, AW, GS, RH, KI, MGP, and OZ participated in the design of the study and helped to draft the manuscript. HJ, MO, AS, AB, KE, LH, MM and EP participated in the design of the study. FV conceived of the study, participated in the design and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors have read and approve of the final version.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
All individual countries have applied for medical ethical approval in their own country. Ethical consideration differs between countries: Medische-ethische toetsingscommissie (NL), Wales Research Ethics Committee 5, Bangor (UK), Ethics committee of the Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE), Regional committee for medical and health research ethics, South-East B (NO), the Regional Ethics Review Board (SW), Dublin City University Research Ethics Committee (IE), Ethics Committee of the Nova Medical School, Ethics Committee of Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Ethics Committee of ARSLVT, Ethics Committee of ARSA, Comissão Nacional de Protecção de Dados (PT). Comitato Etico, IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio-Fatebenefratelli (IT). All participating NHS sites in the UK received permission to perform the study. The carer and the person with dementia both signed a separate informed consent form, after they had sufficient time to read the form and ask questions if needed. The study protocol complies with the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act and codes on ‘good use’ of clinical data.