In 2020, the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center was awarded a 3-year, $3.8M grant (P20-AG068082) from the National Institute on Aging to establish an NIA-funded exploratory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center brings together faculty from more than 20 departments across Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Meharry Medical College to foster discovery in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. With growing evidence that brain and vascular health are intertwined, the Center’s research theme focuses on vascular contributions to multiple pathways of Alzheimer’s disease.

The P20 grant provided the infrastructure to establish the Tennessee Alzheimer’s Project (TAP) cohort of older adults ranging of normal cognition to dementia.


Data Types


Main Category Category Variable Label Units Type Comments Derivation Level
Clinical & Demographic Demographics age Age integer
Clinical & Demographic Demographics sex Sex string
Level Label
1 Male
2 Female
Clinical & Demographic Demographics educ Education (years) years number
Clinical & Demographic Demographics race Race string
Level Label
1 White
2 Black or African American
3 American Indian or Alaska Native
4 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
5 Asian
50 Other
99 99 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Demographics hispanic Ethnicity string
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
9 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Demographics normcog Cognitive Diagnosis - normcog string
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
Clinical & Demographic Demographics impnomci Cognitive Diagnosis - impnomci string
Level Label
1 Present
Clinical & Demographic Demographics mciamem Cognitive Diagnosis - mciamem string
Level Label
1 Present
Clinical & Demographic Demographics mciaplus Cognitive Diagnosis - mciaplus string
Level Label
1 Present
Clinical & Demographic Demographics mcinon1 Cognitive Diagnosis - mcinon1 string
Level Label
1 Present
Clinical & Demographic Demographics mcinon2 Cognitive Diagnosis - mcinon2 string
Level Label
1 Present
Clinical & Demographic Demographics demented Cognitive Diagnosis - demented string
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
Clinical & Demographic Demographics cdrsum CDR- Sum of Boxes number
Clinical & Demographic Demographics cdrglob CDR- Global Score string
Level Label
0 0
0.5 0.5
1 1
2 2
3 3
Clinical & Demographic Medical History height Physical Exam - height (inches) inch number
Level Label
88.8 88.8
Clinical & Demographic Medical History weight Physical Exam - weight (lbs.) lb number
Level Label
888 888
Clinical & Demographic Medical History bmi Physical Exam - BMI number `weight / (height / 100)^2`
Clinical & Demographic Medical History bsa Physical Exam - BSA number `round(weight^0.425 * height^0.725 * 0.007184, 2)`
Clinical & Demographic Medical History sbp Mean of first two echo SBP readings integer Average of `echo.sbp` and `echo.sbp2`.
Clinical & Demographic Medical History dbp Mean of first two echo DBP readings integer Average of `echo.dbp` and `echo.dbp2`.
Clinical & Demographic Medical History pp Pulse pressure integer `sbp - dbp`
Clinical & Demographic Medical History cvd_factor Cardiovascular Disease string Factor. If `cvangina' or 'cvangio' or cvbypass' or 'cvpacdef' or 'cvchf' or 'cvhvalve' or cvothr'==0`, this variable is 1 ("No"). Otherwise, this variable is NA.
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
Clinical & Demographic Medical History cvafib Atrial Fibrillation string
Level Label
0 Absent
1 Recent/Active
2 Remote/Inactive
9 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Medical History diabetes Diabetes string
Level Label
0 Absent
1 Recent/Active
2 Remote/Inactive
9 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Medical History htnrx_factor Anti-Hypertensive Medication Use string Factor. If the `vmac.id` is listed in the corresponding table, this variable is 1 ("Yes"). Otherwise, 2 ("No") or NA.
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
Clinical & Demographic Medical History hypertensive_factor Hypertension Solely Based on Blood Pressure string Factor. If `sbp` and `dbp` are missing, this variable is NA. If `sbp>=140` or `dbp>=90`, this variable is 1 ("Yes"). If `sbp<140` and `dbp<90`, this variable is 0 ("No"). Otherwise, this variable is NA.
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
Clinical & Demographic Medical History hyperten Hypertension string
Level Label
0 Absent
1 Recent/Active
2 Remote/Inactive
9 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Medical History tobac30 Current Smoker string
Level Label
0 No
1 Yes
2 Unknown
9 9
Clinical & Demographic Medical History hypercho Dyslipidemia string
Level Label
0 Absent
1 Recent/Active
2 Remote/Inactive
9 Unknown
Clinical & Demographic Medical History fsrp Framingham Stroke Risk Profile number Sum of `fsrp.age.pts`, `fsrp.sbp.pts`, `fsrp.diabetes.pts`, `fsrp.cigs.pts`, `fsrp.cvd.pts`, `fsrp.afib.pts`, and `fsrp.lvh.pts`.
Cognition Cognitive Complaint Module faq_total Functional Activities Questionnaire ( 10 items) integer If any of `faq01` to `faq10` are missing, this variable is NA. Otherwise, this variable is the sum of `faq01` to `faq10`, rounded to the nearest tenth.
Cognition Cognitive Complaint Module tot_complaint_gifford_45 Vanderbilt Subjective Cognitive Decline Total Score integer If more than 15% of the variables `scd_ptp1` to 'scd_ptp45` are missing, this variable is NA. Otherwise, this variable is the sum of `scd_ptp1` to 'scd_ptp45` rounded to the nearest tenth.
Cognition Cognitive Complaint Module tot_complaint_inf_gifford_45 Vanderbilt Subjective Cognitive Decline- Informant Report Total Score integer If more than 15% of the variables `cogdif01` to `cogdif41` are missing, this variable is NA. Otherwise, this variable is the sum of `cogdif01` to `cogdif41`, rounded to the nearest tenth.
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_hrate Echo - Heart Rate bpm integer
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_lvot Echo - LV Outflow Tract cm number
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_co_calc Echo - Cardiac Output cm number `3.14159 * ((echo.lvot / 2)^2) * echo.lvot.vti * echo.hrate / 1000`
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_cardiac_index Echo - Cardiac Index cm number `echo.co.calc / bsa`
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_edv Echo - End Diastolic Volume ml number
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_esv Echo - End Systolic Volume ml number
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_ef_calc Echo - Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction ml number `(echo.edv - echo.esv) / echo.edv * 100`
Cardiac Imaging Cardiac Structure and Function -- Echocardiogram echo_lvmass Echo - Left Ventricular Mass cm number `round(0.8 * 1.04 * ((echo.lvidd + echo.lvpwd + echo.ivsd)^3 - echo.lvidd^3) + 0.6, 2)`
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment mocatots Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test integer
Level Label
88 88 item not administered
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment craftvrs Craft Story- Immediate Verbatim integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment udsbentc Benson Figure- Immediate Recall integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment digforct Digits Forward- Correct Trials integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment digforsl Digits Forward- Span integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment digbacct Digits Backward- Correct Trials string
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment digbacls Digits Backward- Span integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment animals Total Animals integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment veg Total Vegetables integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment trailb Trails B- Total Seconds s integer
Level Label
995 995 = Physical problem
996 996 = Cognitive/behavior problem
997 997 = Other problem
998 998 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment craftdvr Craft Story- Delayed Recall Verbatim integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment craftdre Craft Story- Delayed Recall Paraphrase integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment udsbentd Benton Delayed Recall integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment minttots MINT Total Score integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment udsverfc Total F Words integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment udsverlc Total L Words integer
Level Label
95 95 = Physical problem
96 96 = Cognitive/behavior problem
97 97 = Other problem
98 98 = Verbal refusal
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_cvlt1to5 CVLT-II Trial 1-5 Learning integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_cvlt_ldfr CVLT-II Long Delayed Free Recall integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_cvltrecog_discrim CVLT-II Recognition integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_ravlt1to5 RAVLT Total Learning integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_ravlt_ldfr RAVLT Long Delayed Free Recall integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_ravltrec_per_correct_round RAVLT Recognition integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_digsymb Coding integer
Level Label
-9999 -9999
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_tower DKEFS Tower Test integer
Cognition Neuropsychological Assessment np_inhibit Color-Word Inhibition s integer
Level Label
-9999 -9999
-7777 -7777

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Cognition
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