A longitudinal study of age-related traits and cognitive function: The Collaborative Amish Aging and Memory Project (CAAMP)

The CAAMP project is an ongoing longitudinal study focused on cognitive function and age-related traits in Amish communities in the Midwestern United States (Ohio and Indiana). The study integrates clinical and cognitive assessments with data on family history, genealogy, genomics, and biological markers. A total of 3,978 participants with a mean age of 78.6 years were enrolled, of which 59.1% were female and 83% had education at the eighth-grade level. Among 2,928 participants with assessed cognitive status, 66.6% were cognitively unimpaired, 9.9% had mild cognitive impairment, 8.9% had Alzheimer disease, and 4.5% had cognitive impairment without Alzheimer disease. The study also includes extensive multigenerational genealogical data, genome-wide sequencing data, and plasma biomarker measurements. The CAAMP project contributes to understanding the genetic basis of cognitive function and age-related diseases, particularly Alzheimer disease.