Overview and findings from the religious orders study

Abstract

The Religious Orders Study is a longitudinal clinical-pathologic cohort study of aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this manuscript, we summarize the study methods including the study design and describe the clinical evaluation, assessment of risk factors, collection of ante-mortem biological specimens, brain autopsy and collection of selected postmortem data.

The results: (1) review the relation of neuropathologic indices to clinical diagnoses and cognition proximate to death; (2) examine the relation of risk factors to clinical outcomes; (3) examine the relation of risk factors to measures of neuropathology; and (4) summarize additional study findings. We then discuss and contextualize the study findings.

Figure 1

Major locations of Religious Orders Study participants.* * Archdiocesan Priests, Chicago, IL, Dubuque, IA and Milwaukee, WI; Benedictine monks, Lisle, IL, and Collegeville, MN; Benedictine Sisters, Erie, PA; Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Lisle, IL; Capuchins, Appleton, WI; Christian Brothers, Chicago, IL, and Memphis, TN; Diocesan Priests, Gary, IN; Dominicans, River Forest, IL; Felician Sisters, Chicago, IL; Franciscan Handmaids of Mary, New York, NY; Franciscans, Chicago, IL; Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, Techny IL; Maryknolls, Los Altos, CA, and Maryknolls, NY; Norbertines, De Pere, WI; Oblate Sisters of Providence, Baltimore, MD; Passionists, Chicago, IL; Presentation Sisters, BVM, Dubuque, IA; Racine Dominicans, Racine, WI; Salestian Sisters of St. John Bosco, San Antonio, TX; Sagrado Corazón, San Antonio, TX; Servites, Chicago, IL; Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, Chicago, IL, and Sinsinawa, WI; Sisters of Charity, BVM, Chicago, IL, and Dubuque IA; Sisters of the Holy Family, New Orleans, LA; Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Des Plaines, IL; Sisters of Mercy of the Americans, Chicago, IL, Aurora, IL, and Erie, Pa; Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Cloud, MN and St. Joseph, MN; Sisters of St. Casimir Chicago, IL; Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, Joliet, IL; Sisters of St. Joseph of La Grange, LaGrange Park, IL; St. Teresa De Jesus, San Antonio, TX.; Society of Divine Word, Techny, IL; Trappists, Gethsemane, KY and Peosta, IA; and Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Wheaton, IL.

Figure 2

Overall study design of the Religious Orders Study Through October of 2011, the baseline evaluation has been completed on 1,162 persons. There have been 387 cases of incident MCI and 287 cases of incident dementia (follow-up rate 95%), and 539 autopsies (autopsy rate 95%).

Figure 3

Overview of clinical pathologic relationships reported in the Religious Orders Study through March 2010.