July 22, 2003 (Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation) -- Researchers are hoping to expand their knowledge of inherited risk factors for Alzheimer's disease with a new study called the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Initiative. The study, expected to be completed in three years, will help doctors and researchers better understand the underlying genetic causes and risk factors for the disabling brain illness and lead to better treatments and effective prevention strategies.
A handful of genes are known to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, accounting for about 10 percent of known cases. Certain genetic defects are closely linked with the early-onset form of the disease, which arises in people who are in their forties or fifties--and in some cases as young as age 30. However, less is known about inherited risk factors for the late-onset form of the disease, which typically arises after age 65. This study seeks clues to the genetics of the far more common late-onset form of Alzheimer's.
Researchers will collect blood samples and detailed medical information and histories from at least 1,000 families who have more than one member with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Participants will undergo a thorough nervous system exam and be given memory and other tests. The project is an effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Who Can Enroll?
To be eligible for the study, a family should have at least two siblings who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 60 or older, as well as another relative who developed Alzheimer's at age 50 or older, or a family member age 60 or older who remains Alzheimer's free. Additional family members may also be asked to join the study, and all information will be coded and kept anonymous and confidential.
Research is being conducted at Indiana University, home of the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's disease, and other medical centers.
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