Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project (ROS/MAP)
Introduction
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datasets_ros_map["Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Proj"]
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datasets_ros_map_0["Study Design"]
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datasets_ros_map_1["Religious Orders Study ROS"]
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datasets_ros_map_2["Memory and Aging Project MAP"]
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datasets_ros_map_3["Unified Protocol"]
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datasets_ros_map_4["Data Collection"]
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datasets_ros_map_5["Cognitive Testing"]
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Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project (ROS/MAP)
Introduction
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
The Religious Orders Study (ROS) and Memory and Aging Project (MAP) are two landmark longitudinal cohort studies of aging and cognitive decline. Conducted by researchers at Rush University, these studies have generated foundational data on the neuropathology, risk factors, and biomarkers of [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease) and related dementias.
Study Design
Religious Orders Study (ROS) The Religious Orders Study began in 1994 with:[@bennet2002]
Participants : Catholic nuns, monks, and brothersEnrollment : Over 1,100 participantsAge at enrollment : 65+ yearsAnnual assessments : Comprehensive cognitive testingMemory and Aging Project (MAP) Launched in 1997, MAP includes:[@bennet2005]
Participants : Community-dwelling adultsEnrollment : Over 1,600 participantsAge at enrollment : 55+ yearsAnnual assessments : Same protocol as ROSUnified Protocol Both studies use identical:[@esquivel2015]
Cognitive test batteries
Food frequency questionnaires
Clinical assessments
Brain donation protocols
Data Collection
Cognitive Testing Annual assessments include:[@wilson2013]
Episodic memory : Word list recall, story recallExecutive function : Trail making, digit orderingSemantic memory : Category fluencyPerceptual speed : Symbol comparisonVisuospatial ability : Visual reproductionClinical Assessments
Diagnoses : NINCDS-ADRDA, NINDS AIREN criteriaDementia staging : Clinical Dementia RatingFunctional assessment : Activities of daily livingPsychiatric evaluation : Depression screeningBrain Donation A unique strength: Nearly all participants consent to brain donation, enabling:[@schneider2022]
Neuropathologic assessment
Correlation with antemortem data
Validation of biomarker studies
Major Findings
Neuropathology of AD ROS/MAP revealed that:[@farfel2019]
Mixed pathology is common
[Tangles](/mechanisms/neurofibrillary-tangles) predict cognitive decline
[Amyloid](/mechanisms/amyloid-plaques) modulates effects
Mixed Pathology Studies demonstrate:[@arvanitakis2016]
Co-occurrence of multiple pathologies
[TDP-43](/mechanisms/tdp-43-proteinopathy) in aging
Impact on clinical expression
LATE The studies identified:[@josephs2017]
Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE)
New pathologic entity
Clinical significance
APOE Effects APOE4 carriers show:[@dawadi2022]
Increased amyloid accumulation
Interaction with other pathologies
Faster cognitive decline
Cognitive Reserve Higher education and religious participation:[@boyle2018]
-buffers against pathology
Slower cognitive decline
Delayed clinical onset
Biomarkers ROS/MAP biomarker studies:[@yu2020]
Plasma neurofilament light chain
CSF tau and Abeta
Imaging biomarkers
Genetics Genomic studies identified:[@fardo2020]
Novel AD risk loci
Expression quantitative trait loci
Functional mechanisms
Cohorts and Substudies
Minority Recruitment
Minority Aging Project (MAP-R)
African American participants
Comparable assessments
Clinical Subsamples
MRI substudy
CSF substudy
Autopsy substudy
Impact on the Field
Standards ROS/MAP established:[@bennet2012]
Cognitive test batteries for aging
Neuropathologic protocols
Data sharing frameworks
Biomarker Validation Studies validated:
CSF biomarkers
Plasma biomarkers
Neuroimaging markers
Drug Development Data support:
Target validation
Clinical trial design
Patient stratification
Data Access Data are publicly available:[@ros2024]
ROS/MAP website : https://www.radcstudy.orgNational Archive : NIAGADSAccess application : RequiredCross-Links to Related Pages
[Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
[Mild Cognitive Impairment](/diseases/mild-cognitive-impairment)
[Frontotemporal Dementia](/diseases/frontotemporal-dementia)
[Neurofibrillary Tangles](/mechanisms/neurofibrillary-tangles)
[Amyloid Plaques](/mechanisms/amyloid-plaques)
[TDP-43 Proteinopathy](/mechanisms/tdp-43-proteinopathy)
[CSF Biomarkers](/diagnostics/csf-biomarkers)
[Amyloid Beta](/biomarkers/amyloid-beta)
[Tau Proteins](/biomarkers/tau-proteins)
[UK Biobank](/datasets/uk-biobank)
[ADNI](/datasets/adni)
External Links
[ROS/MAP Official Website](https://www.radcstudy.org)
[Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center](https://www.radcstudy.org)
[National Institute on Aging](https://www.nia.nih.gov)
References
Bennett DA, et al, Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project: Overview and status (2002)
Bennett DA, et al, The Religious Orders Study: A decade of progress (2005)
Bennett DA, et al, Overview and update from the Religious Orders Study (2012)
Schneider JA, et al, Neuropathologic lesions in the Religious Orders Study (2022)
Arvanitakis Z, et al, TDP-43 pathology in aging and AD (2016)
Josephs KA, et al, Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) (2017)
Wilson RS, et al, Psychological and neural correlates of cognitive aging (2013)
Esquivel PS, et al, Neuropsychological testing in ROS/MAP (2015)
Boyle PA, et al, Relation of formal religious participation to cognitive decline (2018)
Yu L, et al, Translational biomarkers for AD in ROS/MAP (2020)
Dawadi K, et al, APOE effects on neuropathology in ROS/MAP (2022)
Rush BK, et al, Plasma biomarkers in ROS/MAP (1999)
Farfel JM, et al, Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change in ROS/MAP (2019)
Robinson JL, et al, Neurodegeneration in aging and AD: A multiplex biomarker approach (2018)
Fardo DW, et al, Genomics and transcriptomics in ROS/MAP (2020)
Unknown, ROS/MAP Official Website (2024) Show full description