Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study: study design and methods
Langa KM, Plassman BL, Wallace RB, Herzog AR, Heeringa SG, Ofstedal MB, Burke JR, Fisher GG et al.. Neuroepidemiology, 2005-08-15
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective We describe the design and methods of the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS), a new national study that will provide data on the antecedents, prevalence, outcomes, and costs of dementia and "cognitive impairment, not demented" (CIND) using a unique study design based on the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We also illustrate potential uses of the ADAMS data and provide information to interested researchers on obtaining ADAMS and HRS data. Methods The ADAMS is the first population-based study of dementia in the United States to include subjects from all regions of the country, while at the same time using a single standardized diagnostic protocol in a community-based sample. A sample of 856 individuals age 70 or older who were participants in the ongoing HRS received an extensive in-home clinical and neuropsychological assessment to determine a diagnosis of normal, CIND, or dementia. Within the CIND and dementia categories, subcategories (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia) were assigned to denote the etiology of cognitive impairment. Conclusion Linking the ADAMS dementia clinical assessment data to the wealth of available longitudinal HRS data on health, health care utilization, informal care, and economic resources and behavior, will provide a unique opportunity to study the onset of CIND and dementia in a nationally representative population-based sample, as well as the risk factors, prevalence, outcomes, and costs of CIND and dementia.
Key findings
- Methods The ADAMS is the first population-based study of dementia in the United States to include subjects from all regions of the country, while at the same time using a single standardized diagnostic protocol in a community-based sample.
- A sample of 856 individuals age 70 or older who were participants in the ongoing HRS received an extensive in-home clinical and neuropsychological assessment to determine a diagnosis of normal, CIND, or dementia.
- Within the CIND and dementia categories, subcategories (e.g.
- Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia) were assigned to denote the etiology of cognitive impairment.
- Conclusion Linking the ADAMS dementia clinical assessment data to the wealth of available longitudinal HRS data on health, health care utilization, informal care, and economic resources and behavior, will provide a unique opportunity to study the onset of CIND and dementia in a nationally representative population-based sample, as well as the risk factors, prevalence, outcomes, and costs of CIND and dementia.
Why it matters
This paper sets out how the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) works: 856 people aged 70 or older from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study had "an extensive in-home clinical and neuropsychological assessment" and were classed as normal, "cognitive impairment, not demented," or dementia, with subtypes such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The authors describe it as "the first population-based study of dementia in the United States to include subjects from all regions of the country" using "a single standardized diagnostic protocol," and say that linking it to survey data on health, care and finances will allow study of the prevalence, outcomes and costs of dementia. It is a design paper: it reports no results and tests no treatment.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants856
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuroepidemiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Neuroepidemiology: journal h-index 125 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2005 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 856 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 415 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.0 citations a year over 23 year(s) since 2005 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 43 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 75 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Robert J. Willis: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Michigan: institution h-index 2,240 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16103729) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Langa, K. M., Plassman, B. L., Wallace, R. B., Herzog, A. R., Heeringa, S. G., Ofstedal, M. B., et al. (2005). The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study: study design and methods. Neuroepidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000087448
Vancouver
Langa KM, Plassman BL, Wallace RB, Herzog AR, Heeringa SG, Ofstedal MB, et al. The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study: study design and methods. Neuroepidemiology. 2005. doi:10.1159/000087448. PMID: 16103729.
BibTeX
@article{langa2005-16103729,
author = {Langa, K. M. and Plassman, B. L. and Wallace, R. B. and Herzog, A. R. and Heeringa, S. G. and Ofstedal, M. B. and Burke, JR. and Fisher, G. G. and others},
title = {{The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study: study design and methods}},
journal = {Neuroepidemiology},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1159/000087448},
pmid = {16103729},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000087448}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 17.
Later studies that cite this one
43 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also tagged “cognitive-function”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cognitive-function”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.