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The Minority Aging Research Study: ongoing efforts to obtain brain donation in African Americans without dementia
Barnes LL, Shah RC, Aggarwal NT, Bennett DA, Schneider JA.. Current Alzheimer research, 2012-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) is a longitudinal, epidemiologic cohort study of decline in cognitive function and risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older African Americans, with brain donation after death added as an optional component for those willing to consider organ donation. In this manuscript, we first summarize the study design and methods of MARS. We then provide details of ongoing efforts to achieve neuropathologic data on over 100 African Americans participating in MARS and in three other clinical-pathologic cohort studies at Rush University Medical Center. The results examine strategies for recruiting and consenting African Americans without dementia; (2) efforts to maintain high rates of follow-up participation; (3) strategies for achieving high rates of agreement to brain donation; and (4) the methodology of obtaining rapid brain autopsy at death. The implications of these efforts are discussed.
Key findings
- The results examine strategies for recruiting and consenting African Americans without dementia; (2) efforts to maintain high rates of follow-up participation; (3) strategies for achieving high rates of agreement to brain donation; and (4) the methodology of obtaining rapid brain autopsy at death.
Why it matters
This paper describes the design of a study of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease risk in older African Americans, including efforts to obtain brain donation. It is about study methods and recruitment, not about any treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Current Alzheimer research) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Current Alzheimer Research: journal h-index 119 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following 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 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 303 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.9 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 26 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 135 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Julie A. Schneider: h-index 151 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Rush University Medical Center: institution h-index 670 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22471868) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Barnes, L. L., Shah, R. C., Aggarwal, N. T., Bennett, D. A., & Schneider, J. A. (2012). The Minority Aging Research Study: ongoing efforts to obtain brain donation in African Americans without dementia. Current Alzheimer research. https://doi.org/10.2174/156720512801322627
Vancouver
Barnes LL, Shah RC, Aggarwal NT, Bennett DA, Schneider JA. The Minority Aging Research Study: ongoing efforts to obtain brain donation in African Americans without dementia. Current Alzheimer research. 2012. doi:10.2174/156720512801322627. PMID: 22471868.
BibTeX
@article{barnes2012-22471868,
author = {Barnes, L. L. and Shah, R. C. and Aggarwal, N. T. and Bennett, D. A. and Schneider, J. A.},
title = {{The Minority Aging Research Study: ongoing efforts to obtain brain donation in African Americans without dementia}},
journal = {Current Alzheimer research},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.2174/156720512801322627},
pmid = {22471868},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2174/156720512801322627}
}
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