A longitudinal study of age-related traits and cognitive function: The Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP)
- 1Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Abstract
Structured AbstractO_ST_ABSINTRODUCTIONC_ST_ABSThe Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP) is an ongoing longitudinal study spanning multiple sites, focused on cognitive function and age-related traits in Midwestern Amish (Ohio and Indiana) communities. The primary traits of interest include Alzheimer Disease and related dementias (ADRD), successful aging (SA), and other age-related conditions.
METHODSCAAMP integrates clinical and cognitive assessments with family history, genealogical, genomic, biospecimen, and biomarker data collected across Amish communities in Ohio and Indiana. Cognitive diagnoses are assigned through consensus adjudication using clinical, cognitive, functional, and informant data.
RESULTSTo date, CAAMP has enrolled 3,978 participants (mean age 78.6 (SD = 7.9), 59.1% female, and 83% with an education level at the eighth grade), of whom 2,928 have consensus-adjudicated cognitive status. At the most recent assessment, 66.6% were cognitively unimpaired, 9.9% had mild cognitive impairment, 8.9% had Alzheimer disease, and 4.5% had cognitive impairment, but not Alzheimer disease. The remaining 1,050 did not have detailed cognitive evaluations at their enrollment. Longitudinal cognitive assessments and multiple biospecimen sample types are available for subsets of participants. CAAMP further includes extensive multigenerational pedigree information, genome-wide genotype and whole-genome sequencing data, and plasma biomarker measurements.
DISCUSSIONCAAMP illuminates the genetic underpinnings of cognition and late life diseases, particularly Alzheimer Disease, by leveraging the special characteristics of a founder population. Continued study of this prospective cohort provides opportunities to identify the genetic and biological factors driving cognitive outcomes alongside other age-related conditions, advancing our understanding of both disease risk and protection.
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BibTeX
@misc{jian2026longitudinal,
title = {{A longitudinal study of age-related traits and cognitive function: The Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP)}},
author = {D. Z. Jian and R. A. Laux and Y. E. Song and A. Lynn and K. Miskimen and A. Gulyayev and S. L. Fuzzell and S. D. Hochstetler and D. Miller and P. Miron and L. J. Caywood and J. E. Clouse and S. D. Herington and M. B. Prough and L. D. Adams and Y. Liu and N. C. Moore and D. A. Dorfsman and P. Ogrocki and A. J. Lerner and J. M. Vance and M. L. Cuccaro and M. A. Pericak-Vance and W. K. Scott and J. L. Haines},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.17.26363351},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.26363351v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A longitudinal study of age-related traits and cognitive function: The Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP)
AU - D. Z. Jian
AU - R. A. Laux
AU - Y. E. Song
AU - A. Lynn
AU - K. Miskimen
AU - A. Gulyayev
AU - S. L. Fuzzell
AU - S. D. Hochstetler
AU - D. Miller
AU - P. Miron
AU - L. J. Caywood
AU - J. E. Clouse
AU - S. D. Herington
AU - M. B. Prough
AU - L. D. Adams
AU - Y. Liu
AU - N. C. Moore
AU - D. A. Dorfsman
AU - P. Ogrocki
AU - A. J. Lerner
AU - J. M. Vance
AU - M. L. Cuccaro
AU - M. A. Pericak-Vance
AU - W. K. Scott
AU - J. L. Haines
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.17.26363351
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.26363351v1
AB - Structured AbstractO_ST_ABSINTRODUCTIONC_ST_ABSThe Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP) is an ongoing longitudinal study spanning multiple sites, focused on cognitive function and age-related traits in Midwestern Amish (Ohio and Indiana) communities. The primary traits of interest include Alzheimer Disease and related dementias (ADRD), successful aging (SA), and other age-related conditions. METHODSCAAMP integrates clinical and cognitive assessments with family history, genealogical, genomic, biospecimen, and biomarker data collected across Amish communities in Ohio and Indiana. Cognitive diagnoses are assigned through consensus adjudication using clinical, cognitive, functional, and informant data. RESULTSTo date, CAAMP has enrolled 3,978 participants (mean age 78.6 (SD = 7.9), 59.1% female, and 83% with an education level at the eighth grade), of whom 2,928 have consensus-adjudicated cognitive status. At the most recent assessment, 66.6% were cognitively unimpaired, 9.9% had mild cognitive impairment, 8.9% had Alzheimer disease, and 4.5% had cognitive impairment, but not Alzheimer disease. The remaining 1,050 did not have detailed cognitive evaluations at their enrollment. Longitudinal cognitive assessments and multiple biospecimen sample types are available for subsets of participants. CAAMP further includes extensive multigenerational pedigree information, genome-wide genotype and whole-genome sequencing data, and plasma biomarker measurements. DISCUSSIONCAAMP illuminates the genetic underpinnings of cognition and late life diseases, particularly Alzheimer Disease, by leveraging the special characteristics of a founder population. Continued study of this prospective cohort provides opportunities to identify the genetic and biological factors driving cognitive outcomes alongside other age-related conditions, advancing our understanding of both disease risk and protection.
ER -