Memory and Ageing Study

The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (Sydney MAS) began in 2005 to examine the clinical characteristics and prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and related syndromes, and to determine the rate of change in cognitive function over time.

At the baseline assessment from 2005 to 2007, 1037 non-demented individuals aged 70-90 were recruited from 2 areas of Sydney, following a random approach to 8914 individuals on the electoral roll. They underwent detailed neuropsychological and medical assessments and donated a blood sample for clinical chemistry, proteomics and genomics. A knowledgeable informant was also interviewed. Structural MRI scans were performed on 544 of the participants, and subgroups participated in studies of falls and balance, metabolic and inflammatory markers, functional MRI and prospective memory. The group is to be followed up with brief telephone reviews annually and detailed assessments biannually.

The Sydney MAS participants are generally well-functioning individuals, mostly living in private homes and rating their health as 'better than average', although vascular risk factors are common. Most participants (95.5%), or their informants, identified a cognitive difficulty, and 43.5% had impairment on at least one neuropsychological test (Sachdev et al, 2010). The rate of MCI is relatively high in this population and males have a substantially higher incidence of MCI than females. Participants with MCI are more likely to develop dementia over the two year follow-up period than those without MCI.

Longitudinal follow-up of this cohort will delineate the progression of complaints and objective impairment, and the determinants of such change.

Publications

1. Chua TC, Wen W, Chen X, Kochan N, Slavin MJ, Trollor JN, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS. Diffusion tensor imaging of the posterior cingulate is a useful biomarker of mild cognitive impairment. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009;17(7):602-13
2. Cui Y, Wen W, Lipnicki DM, Beg MF, Jin JS, Luo S, Zhu W, Kochan NA, Reppermund S, Zhuang L, Ramana PR, Liu T, Trollor JN, Wang L, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS. Automated detection of amnestic mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling elderly adults: a combined spatial atrophy and white matter alteration approach. NeuroImage 2011, In Press.
3. Delbaere K, Sturnieks DL, Crombez G, Lord SR. Concern About Falls Elicits Changes in Gait Parameters in Conditions of Postural Threat in Older People. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2009; 64, No. 2, 237–242
4. Delbaere K, Close JC, Heim J, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Slavin MJ, Kochan NA, Lord SR. A multifactorial approach to understanding fall risk in older people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010;58 (9):1679-85.
5. Delbaere K, Close JC, Brodaty H, Sachdev P, Lord SR. Determinants of disparities between perceived and physiological risk of falling among elderly people: cohort study. BMJ. , 2010.341:c4165
6. Delbaere K, Close JC, Mikolaizak AS, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Lord SR. The Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). A comprehensive longitudinal validation study. Age Ageing. 2010 Mar;39(2):210-6
7. Kochan NA, Slavin MJ, Brodaty H, Crawford JD, Trollor JN, Draper B, Sachdev PS. Effect of Different Impairment Criteria on Prevalence of ‘Objective’ Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Community Sample. AJGP 2010; 18: 711-722
8. Kochan NA, Breakspear M, Slavin MJ, Valenzuela M, McCraw S, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS. Functional alterations in brain activation and deactivation in mild cognitive impairment in response to a graded working memory challenge. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2010;30(6):553-68
9. Kochan NA, Breakspear M, Valenzuela M, Slavin MJ, Brodaty H, Wen W, Trollor JN, Turner A, Crawford JD, Sachdev PS. Cortical Responses to a Graded Working Memory Challenge Predict Functional Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Biological Psychiatry 2011 BPS-D-10-01837
10. Liu T, Wen W, Zhu W, Trollor J, Reppermund S, Crawford J, Jin JS, Luo S, Brodaty H, Sachdev P. The effects of age and sex on cortical sulci in the elderly. Neuroimage 2010;51(1):19-27
11. Liu T, Wen W, Zhu W, Kochan NA, Trollor JN, Reppermund S, Jin JS, Luo S, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS. The relationship between cortical sulcal variability and cognitive performance in the elderly. Neuroimage 2011; 56, 865-873
12. Low L-F, Harrison F, Kochan NA, Draper B, Slavin MJ, Reppermund S, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H. Can Mild Cognitive Impairment be accurately diagnosed in English speakers from linguistic minorities? Results from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. AJGP 2011, In Press
13. Menant JC, Close JC, Delbaere K, Sturnieks DL, Trollor J, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Lord SR. Relationships between serum vitamin D levels, neuromuscular and neuropsychological function and falls in older men and women. Osteoporos Int. 2011, In Press
14. Reppermund S, Sachdev PS, Crawford J, Kochan NA, Slavin MJ, Kang K, Trollor JN, Draper B, Brodaty H. The relationship of neuropsychological function to instrumental activities of daily living in mild cognitive impairment. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Aug;26(8):843-52
15. Reppermund S, Brodaty H, Crawford JD, Kochan NA, Slavin MJ, Trollor JN, Draper B, Sachdev PS. The relationship of current depressive symptoms and past depression with cognitive impairment and instrumental activities of daily living in an elderly population: the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Journal of Psychiatric Research 2011, In Press
16. Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Reppermund S, Kochan NA, Trollor JN, Draper B, Slavin MJ, Crawford J, Kang K, Broe GA, Mather KA, Lux O; Memory and Ageing Study Team. The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS): methodology and baseline medical and neuropsychiatric characteristics of an elderly epidemiological non-demented cohort of Australians aged 70-90 years. Int Psychogeriatr. 2010;22(8):1248-64
17. Slavin MJ, Brodaty H, Kochan NA, Crawford JD, Trollor JN, Draper B, Sachdev PS. Prevalence and Predictors of 'Subjective Cognitive Complaints' in the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. AJGP - 2010; 18: 701-710
18. Trollor JN, Smith E, Baune BT, Kochan NA, Campbell L, Samaras K, Crawford J, Brodaty H, Sachdev P. Systemic Inflammation Is Associated with MCI and Its Subtypes: The Sydney Memory and Aging Study.Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2010;30(6):569-78
19. Trollor JN, Smith E, Agars E, Kuan SA, Baune BT, Campbell L, Samaras K, Crawford J, Lux O, Kochan NA, Brodaty H, Sachdev P. The association between systemic inflammation and cognitive performance in the elderly: the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Age 2011, In Press
20. Zhang H, Trollor JN, Wen W, Zhu W, Crawford JD, Kochan NA, Slavin MJ, Brodaty H, Reppermund S, Kang K, Mather KA, Sachdev PS. Grey matter atrophy of basal forebrain and hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2011 May;82(5):487-93
21. Zheng JJ, Delbaere K, Close JCT, Sachdev PS, Wen W, Lord SR. White matter hyperintensities and impaired choice stepping reaction time in older people. Neurobiol Aging. 2011, In Press (doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.12.009)
22. Zheng JJ, Delbaere K, Close JC, Sachdev PS, Lord SR. Impact of white matter lesions on physical functioning and fall risk in older people: a systematic review. Neuroimage. 2010 Oct 15;53(1):16-25
23. Zhuang L, Wen W, Zhu W, Trollor J, Kochan N, Crawford J, Reppermund S, Brodaty H, Sachdev P. White matter integrity in mild cognitive impairment: a tract-based spatial statistics study. Neuroimage. 2010 Oct 15;53(1):16-25

Investigators

Research Psychologists

Administrative Assistants