Participants did not have to be diagnosed with MCI to participate, but there must have been memory concerns that were noticed by another person. Memory testing was done at the screening visit to determine study eligibility.

Participants had to be non-smokers and must not have used any products containing nicotine in the past year prior to enrolling in the study, in order to allow researchers to compare results effectively.

Participants enrolled in the MIND Study were required to wear a nicotine patch during the day, and visit their local clinical research site once every three months for approximately two years. Study volunteers also needed to have a study partner—a family member, close friend, or caregiver—who accompanied them to visits in order to give the research staff feedback about the participant’s memory. Half of MIND Study participants received the nicotine patch, and half will received a patch without nicotine (a placebo). The health of all participants was monitored throughout the Study, and all health information was kept confidential.

In addition to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the MIND Study was funded by the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and led by researchers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Southern California’s Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute.