The purpose of the Oregon Brain Aging Study (OBAS) is to obtain information on the effects of aging on the brain. This is an ongoing, longitudinal study. Those being invited to participate in the study are individuals who are age 55 or older,healthy, and are living in the community. Subjects are recruited through presentations at retirement facilities and senior fairs, flyers and word of mouth in the community. Those expressing interest are screened over the phone and then a medical release is completed to request current medical records. Those meeting the health criteria are scheduled for the initial visits which are considered screening visits. Informed consent is obtained at this time. Determination of eligibility is based on data collected at these visits including normal cognition, normal blood chemistry results and normal MRI of the brain.

During these initial visits, research subjects will be asked to have several

examinations scheduled over two or three separate days. The examinations need to be completed within a two week time period. During these visits, subjects receive a battery of neurological and neuropsychological tests. These include a medical history and physical examination, standardized questions about mood and personality, a variety of standardized tests of mental functioning such as concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan, blood tests to measure numbers of blood cells and blood chemistry (first visit only), an electrocardiogram (EKG) to record the normal electrical activity of the heart, and tests of balance.Subjects will be asked to return for follow-up examinations every six months for a lifetime. The entire series of examinations will be repeated at yearly intervals. During the follow-up examinations occurring every six months, only the

medical history and a brief test of mental functioning will be completed. This examination will last up to thirty minutes.Subjects may also be invited to participate in a genetic component. They will be asked to sign a separate consent if they agree to participate in that portion.

As part of the project we ultimately hope to examine brain tissue after death to determine the relation between brain function and structure of healthy elderly individuals. If subjects agree to donate their brain to Oregon Health & Science University for research following death, they would sign a separate document making an anatomical gift of the brain. The donation would not cause the subjects’ estate to incur expenses for the autopsy or for the research to be conducted on the brain. An anatomical gift of brain donation is not required for participation in this research study.