CORE--EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS

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This proposal is for the continuation of a Rush ADCC Epidemiology and Biostatistics Core that was recently funded (in July, 1995) through a competitive supplement. The goal of the Core is to facilitate use of epidemiological data to address research questions concerning Alzheimer's disease. The base of the core is formed by data from seven existing epidemiological projects. Three of these are current ADCC cores: (a) the Clinical Core, (b)the Religious Orders Study Core and (c) the Neuropathology Core. Four are independently funded studies associated with the ADCC: (d) the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a biracial population study of 8,300 residents of a geographically defined area of Chicago that is currently at the stage of collecting baseline data; (e) a longitudinal study of the progression and consequences of Alzheimer's disease among 411 community-dwelling persons with Alzheimer's disease that is entering its third cycle of data collection with follow-up rates in excess of 95%; (f) a detailed longitudinal study of aggressive behavior complicating the course of Alzheimer's disease that has collected sequential data at weekly intervals for 272 persons with follow-up rates in excess of 90%; and (g)the East Boston studies of Alzheimer's disease, a group of completed data sets comprising studies of prevalent and incident Alzheimer's disease and of the course of the disease among 3,800 residents of a geographically defined neighborhood of Boston. Six of these seven base projects have been designed from the beginning to be as complementary as possible with respect to the substantive aspects of the data in each, including criteria and procedures for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, measurement of cognitive function and assessment of movement disorders, behavior and depressive symptoms. The seventh, the East Boston studies, were designed several years previously but have a number of shared approaches and data elements. The core will provide integrated management of the data from these seven projects. For this purpose the projects are divided into three groups according to the degree to which participants are shared with the largest group composed of the three ADCC cores and the two studies recruiting participants through these cores. Direct computer entry of data using the Blaise system will be supported for the three ADCC cores, and a relational data base for the seven projects will be completed using uniform procedures for all data sets. In addition, the Core will increase the usefulness of these data by offering investigators from Rush and from other collaborating institutions the opportunity to acquire the skills necessary for efficient use of the data in a manner that is tailored to the needs of the individual investigator.