Memory & Ageing Study 2

Memory & Ageing Study 2 banner
One of Australia’s largest studies of ageing and cognitive health.

Description

The original study, Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS), ran for 14 years and is one of Australia’s largest and longest running studies of ageing and cognitive health. Over 200 publications using MAS data have appeared in a large range of respected national and international journals.

Following the success of MAS, MAS2 will recruit a new cohort that is a generation older. This new cohort will comprise Australians who have had different life experiences to the original MAS cohort. MAS participants grew-up and lived through the Great Depression and World War 2. The subsequent generation enjoyed post-war boom and better socio-economic status, comprised more immigrants, and had better health care opportunities. MAS2 will replicate and enhance MAS methodology to reflect advances in the field over this period.

Aims

  • Chart the generational change in the physical, psychological, social, and cognitive/ brain health in Australians aged 70-90 years old.
  • Examine the effects of living through the pandemic on mental health in older people.
  • Determine changes in risk factors for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease and cognitive decline and their relative contributions to cognitive decline.
  • Determine changes in use of health services and pathways to care and factors associated with health care.

Timeline

MAS2 Timeline

 

Recruitment

"MAS2 Recruitment

 

Participants will be recruited randomly over 15 months from 2023-2025 through the electoral roll from the federal government area of Kingsford-Smith and Wentworth in Sydney. Individuals in the age range 70-90 years on their last birthday will be sent a letter inviting them to participate in the study. Affirmative responders will be screened by telephone. Informed consent will be obtained from participants and informants.

Prior to the first visit, participants would be asked to complete various online questionnaires assessing physical, psychological, social, and cognitive/ brain health. Participants then complete face-to-face assessments comprising a medical history interview and a neuropsychological and medical examination at either a study center or in participants’ home.

Each participant’s informant will complete a phone interview and additional questionnaires as part of the caregiver component of the study.

Add-on Studies

Following the face-to-face assessment, participants will be invited to participate in one or more add-on studies with the following aims:

  • Vision and Eye – Determine ocular biomarkers for cardio- and cerebrovascular disease, cognitive decline and dementia.
  • Falls and Balance – Determine the best prognostic test/s for falls in a large representative sample of community living older people and determine how novel assessment measures of gait adaptability, sleep quantity and remotely collected gait and physical activity measures predict falls.
  • Bone Density and Physical Activity – Explore the associations between bone density, physical activity and cognitive ageing.
  • Cardiometabolic – Explore the relationship between cardiometabolic biomarkers and brain ageing and cerebral vascular change.

Contact

E: mas2@unsw.edu.au

Staff

MAS2 Investigators

Professor Henry Brodaty
Professor Perminder Sachdev
Professor Colin Masters
Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh
Professor Annette Dobson
Professor Aletta E Schutte
Professor Henry Cutler
Professor Carol Brayne
Dr Nicole Kochan
Dr Katya Numbers

Associate Investigators

Dr Karen Mather
Assoc Professor Wei Wen
Professor Katherine Samaras
Ms Heidi Welberry
Dr Chun Pan Lam
Ms Fleur de Crespigny
Michael Schapiro

MAS2 Project Members

Dr Suraj Samtani
Dr Amanda Selwood
Ms Tiffany Chau
Mr Ping-Hsiu Lin
Ms Saly Mahalingam
Ms Zara Page

Add-on study – Vision and Eye

Prof Lisa Keay
Dr Angelica Ly
Dr Jessie Huang-Lung

Add-on study – Falls and Balance

Professor Stephen Lord
Professor Kim Delbaere
Dr Jasmine Menant
Mr Cameron Hicks

Add-on study – Bone Density and Physical Activity

Professor Jacqueline Center
Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh

Add-on study – Cardiometabolic

Professor Katherine Samaras
Professor Jason Kovacic
Professor Alta Schutte