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Srinivaspura Aging, Neuro Senescence and COGnition (SANSCOG) study and Tata Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA): Study protocols
Author(s) -
Sundarakumar Jonas,
Chauhan Ganesh,
Rao Girish N,
Sivakumar Palanimuthu T,
Rao Naren P,
Ravindranath Vijayalakshmi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.045681
Subject(s) - dementia , cohort , cognition , medicine , longitudinal study , neurocognitive , gerontology , population , prospective cohort study , cohort study , rotterdam study , cognitive decline , pathology , psychiatry , environmental health , disease
Background Population‐based, prospective, longitudinal, aging and cognition studies are an important approach to understand the pathophysiology of normal and pathological cognitive aging. However, till date there are no comprehensive cohort studies from the Indian population, examining clinical, cognitive phenotypes and associated genetic and neuroimaging correlates. Method The Srinivaspura Aging, Neuro Senescence and COGnition (SANSCOG) study and the Tata Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) are envisioned as parallel and synchronized, prospective, community‐based cohort studies in India – rural and urban, respectively – with long term follow‐up over many years, for comprehensive evaluation of risk and protective factors associated with cognitive changes due to normal ageing, dementia and other related disorders (n=10,000 for SANSCOG and n=1,000 for TLSA). Both the study cohorts comprise of cognitively healthy individuals aged ≥ 45 years. However, they have distinct population characteristics. Participants in the SANSCOG study are recruited from the villages of Srinivaspur Taluk in Kolar District in southern India, through an area sampling strategy, whereas, those in TLSA are recruited through convenience sampling, from urban Bangalore. Participants are evaluated with detailed clinical, neurocognitive, lifestyle, anthropometric, biochemical and genetic assessments in the baseline visit and during periodic follow‐up visits. End‐to‐end digitization has been done for all the assessments. GWAS, Whole Genome Sequencing & MRI (resting fMRI, structural MRI, DTI & MRS) is being done in a subset of the SANSCOG study cohort (n=1,000) and the entire TLSA cohort (n=1,000). Result These parallel cohort studies will generate a database comprising of genetic, biochemical, clinical, neuroimaging and neurocognitive data that can help in further exploration of the pathophysiology of normal and pathological cognitive aging using systems biology‐based approaches. Though these two cohorts are contrasting with respect to socio‐economic status, migration, literacy and lifestyle, the harmonization in the assessments across the two studies offers a unique opportunity to compare outcome measures across these two groups. Conclusion SANSCOG and TLSA studies are landmark cohort studies in India, which employ a combined multi‐level approach, spanning genotype to phenotype and will be able to provide reliable biomarkers to predict the risk factors for development of dementia in the Indian population.