Since 1979, the Memory & Aging Project at Washington University has studied intellectual functioning in persons as they age. Our efforts are designed to provide information on the aging process in healthy older persons and in those diagnosed as having a dementia of the Alzheimer type or another related disorder. The Memory and Aging Project (MAP) along with the Memory and Aging Project Satellite (MAPS) are at the forefront of a worldwide effort to uncover key causal factors in the development of Alzheimer disease, with a goal of developing more effective treatments and an eventual cure or prevention.

Researchers at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University are looking at the memory and thinking changes that occur in people as they age. A team of nurses, doctors, social workers, and other professionals assess cognitive function in older adult volunteers both with and without dementia. The team deeply appreciates the participation of hundreds of volunteers in our studies. The research could not be advanced without our volunteers, their families and care partners.

The mission of the Knight ADRC is to:

The reality of Alzheimer disease (AD) is startling. Someone in the United States develops AD every 67 seconds, and 1 in 3 seniors dies with AD or another dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of memory and thinking impairment among persons age 65 and older.

Alzheimer disease is diagnosed based on gradual onset, slow progression of memory impairment, and general cognitive decline. At its earliest clinical stage, AD represents a decline from the person’s prior level of function and affects the person’s ability to carry out her everyday activities. Even with growing public awareness of the disease, it is estimated that almost half of all persons with symptoms go undiagnosed. Deaths from Alzheimer disease increased 71 percent from 2000 to 2013, while deaths from other major diseases, including heart disease, stroke, breast and prostate cancer, and HIV/AIDS, decreased. Alzheimer's is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

Researchers at MAP are working to improve early detection and diagnosis using clinical and biological measures developed and tested in our research studies. MAP researchers also are working to develop and evaluate therapies that one day may provide truly effective treatment for the disease.

*Statistics courtesy of Alzheimer’s Association 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 

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