For more information about the EPAD LCS protocol, refer to the following paper:
European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia Longitudinal Cohort Study (EPAD LCS): study protocol.
Alina Solomon et al. BMJ Open 2019 Feb 19;8(12):e021017.
The EPAD team has collected over 1,600 samples consisting of blood, CSF, saliva and urine from research participants throughout their participation in the Longitudinal Cohort Study, as per the LCS protocol.
Data has been collected from participants across a wide-range of outcomes at each annual visit, refer to table below. The 6-month visit collected data on cognition only.
Primary Outcomes
Cognitive Outcomes – RBANS Total Scale Index Score
- Verbal Episodic Memory: List Learning & Story Memory
- Visual Episodic Memory: Figure recall
- Visuospatial/Constructional: Figure Copy & Line Orientation
- Language: Picture Naming
- Attention/Executive Functioning: Semantic Fluency, Digit Span, Coding
Secondary Outcomes
Cognitive Outcomes
- Working Memory: Dot Counting (NIH EXAMINER)
- Choice Reaction Time and Set Shifting: Flanker (NIH EXAMINER)
- Paired Associate Learning: Favourites (University of California, San Francisco)
CSF Biomarker Outcomes
- Aβ, t-tau, p-tau
Neuroimaging Outcomes (MRI)
- Hippocampal & whole brain volume
Exploratory Outcomes
Cognitive Outcomes
- Allocentric Space: Four Mountains Task (University College London/University of York)
- Navigation in Egocentric Space: Virtual Reality Supermarket Trolley (University College London)
Other Clinical Outcomes
- Everyday functioning: Amsterdam Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire
Neuroimaging Outcomes
- Multi-region structural and functional MRI analysis
- Functional regional and network measures
CSF Biomarker Outcomes
- TREM-2, neurofilament light, and neurogranin
Other Measures
- Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, family history of AD/dementia in first degree relatives, medical history, comorbidity, medication use, BMI, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure.
- Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR)
- Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)
- Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
- Vascular burden (WML, infarcts, lacunes, microbleeds, superficial siderosis)
- Dementia diagnosed by the participant’s physician
- Physical examination
- APOE genotype
- Polygenic Risk Scores
- Collection of CSF and blood, urine & saliva samples for future biomarker assessments (emerging AD biomarkers): beta-amyloid, t-tau, p-tau, (neurofilament light, TREM 2, and neurogranin).
Research Projects using EPAD Data
There are several research projects, academic institutions and companies that are accessing and using the EPAD data. Have a look at the projects already being undertaken here.
About the Workspaces
The analytical database for the LCS was developed and hosted by our partner Aridhia within the Digital Research Environment (DRE, formerly AnalytiXagility). Workspaces in the DRE provided the secure collaboration and data management services to integrated and distribute LCS data. The analytical database includes all of the clinical, cognitive and biomarker measurements of recruited individuals according to the EPAD LCS protocol, collected and curated according to high quality standards. The DRE is also being used as part of the EPAD LCS Research Access Process (ERAP) where the DRE also hosts metadata to help researchers interpret the database.
“Our data team generate the published snapshots of the analytical database, and publish snapshots and metadata. Researchers can discover the data through publications, Internet searches and go through a partially automated process to request access. A semi-automated process streamlines the review and approval of requests. Data is then usually delivered to a private Workspace in the DRE where they can download the open data, collaborate on analysis and also redeposit derived data back to the LCS.”
Rodrigo Barnes
Aridhia
Aridhia