Cohort Descriptives
| Variable | Response |
|---|---|
| Cohort Name | Bristol Research into Alzheimer's and Care for the Elderly |
| Cohort Acronym | BRACE |
| DOI | Tales, A. (2019). BRACE [Data set]. Dementias Platform UK. https://doi.org/10.48532/008000 |
| Study Overview | The BRACE database records clinical activity for the Memory Disorders Clinic between 1994-2006 when the Clinic closed. The Clinic emphasised the development of psychological assessments over several visits, reflecting the spectrum of change in patients' cognitive ability over this time. Patients' medical, social, and family history were obtained, as well as results of full clinical examinations, blood tests, CT and MRI scans. The Clinic was one of two in England which were testing medications to manage the effects of Alzheimer's disease. This included a study which showed that Galantamine was an effective treatment for improving cognition, ultimately leading to it being licenced for use. It is now one of the medications available to manage the effects of Alzheimer's. |
| #Subjects at Baseline | 2389 |
| Institution Name | University of Bristol |
| Department Name | North Bristol Trust |
| City | Bristol |
| Study/Database Website | |
| Key Study References | |
| Population Based Study? | No |
| Family Based Study? | No |
| Clinical based sample? | Yes |
| Is there follow-up data available? | No |
| Were participants included prior to development of dementia (may refer to controls only)? | Yes |
| Were participants included prior to development of MCI (may refer to controls only)? | Yes |
| How is data collected? | In person |
| Who carries out data collection? | Clincians |
| Does this take place in participants' homes or at a central location? | Central location |
| Do participants take part individually or are families/partners involved? | Individually |
| Dementia cases ascertained as part of study: | Yes |
| Diagnosis based on review of existing clinical data | Yes |
| Study start date | 1994 |
| Is study ongoing? | No |
| Is study still recruiting? | No |
| Inclusion criteria | Patients who attended the Memory Disorders Clinic in Bristol between 1994-2006. |
Administration
| Variable type |
|---|
| Consent To Approach For Update Of Patient |
| Date Of Initial Visit |
| Gender Of Patient |
| ID Number |
| Patient's Date Of Birth |
| Patient's Date Of Death |
| Referral Date |
| Status Of Referred Person |
Sociodemographic
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Years of full time education | Y | Y |
| Employment | Occupation | Y | Y |
| Marital Status | Patient's marital status | Y |
Family History
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended | Family history of dementia | Y | |
| Extended | Whether other relatives suffer/suffered from dementia | Y | |
| Father | Father suffers/suffered from dementia | Y | |
| Father | Father's age now/at death | Y | |
| Father | Father alive or dead | Y | |
| Mother | Mother suffers/suffered from dementia | Y | |
| Mother | Mother's age now/at death | Y | |
| Mother | Mother alive or dead | Y | |
| Siblings | Patient's number of siblings | Y |
Early Life History
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handedness | Ambidextrous | Y | Y |
| Handedness | Right/left handed | Y | Y |
Physical Health Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiothoracic | History of angina | Y | |
| Cardiothoracic | History of heart attack | Y | |
| Cardiothoracic | History of hypertension/high blood pressure | Y | |
| Cerebrovascular | History of stroke/CVA | Y | |
| Cerebrovascular | History of transient ischaemic attack | Y | |
| Endocrinology | History of endocrine disorder | Y | |
| Endocrinology | Thyroid appearance | Y | Y |
| ENT | Hearing problems | Y | |
| Eyes | Visual problems | Y | |
| Gastrointestinal | Abdominal examination | Y | Y |
| General Health | Falls in the last 6 months | Y | Y |
| General Health | Fractures suffered in last 6 months | Y | Y |
| General Health | History of cold sores | Y | |
| General Health | History of head injury | Y | |
| General Health | History of meningitis | Y | |
| General Health | Speech abnormality | Y | Y |
| Immunology | Allergies present | Y | |
| Neurological | Apraxia | Y | Y |
| Neurological | Current expressive/receptive aphasia | Y | Y |
| Neurological | History of epilepsy | Y | |
| Neurological | Visual agnosia | Y | Y |
Healthcare Utilisation
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medications | Date started/stopped cholinesterase inhibitor treatment | Y | Y |
| Medications | Name of cholinesterase inhibitor prescribed | Y | Y |
| Medications | Names of drugs currently taken by patient | Y | Y |
| Social Care | Patient's date of admission to residential/nursing home | Y |
Life Functionality
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Living | Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale | Y | Y |
Psychological Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Of Life | Deterioration in hygiene | Y | Y |
| Sleep | Lethargy | Y | Y |
| Sleep | Sleep problems | Y | Y |
| Wellbeing | Present state | Y | Y |
| Self-report psychological status | Social Decline | Y | Y |
| Self-report psychological status | Agitation | Y | Y |
| Self-report psychological status | Psychiatric assessment | Y | Y |
Mental Health Status
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disorders | Delusion | Y | Y |
| Disorders | Hallucination | Y | Y |
| Disorders | Irritability over appetite | Y | Y |
| Mood | Aggression | Y | Y |
| Mood | Anxiety | Y | Y |
| Mood | Apathy | Y | Y |
| Mood | Attention and concentration problems | Y | Y |
| Mood | Cornell scale for depression in dementia | Y | Y |
| Mood | Depression | Y | Y |
| Mood | Disinhibition | Y | Y |
| Mood | Euphoria | Y | Y |
| Mood | Obsessive and/or ritualistic behaviour | Y | Y |
Cognition
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Performance | Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | CLOX drawing tests | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Comprehension | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Concentration/distractibility | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Delayed recognition | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Demographic IQ | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Digit copying tests | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Face recognition | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | National Adult Reading Test (NART) | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Planning, sequencing, organising | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Remembering test instructions | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Spoken language/word finding difficulty | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Story recall test | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Timed Up and Go (TUG) test | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Trail making tests | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Verbal fluency | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Verbal learning | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Visual Form Discrimination Test | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | WAIS-III | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Performance | Weigl's colour form sorting test | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Clinical Dementia Rating score | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | First diagnosis of dementia | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Hachinski Ischaemic score | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | History of Parkinson's disease | Y | |
| Cognitive Status | Most likely causes of cognitive impairment | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Most likely causes of dementia | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Possible/probable Alzheimer's disease | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Possible/probable dementia with Lewy bodies | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Possible/probable vascular dementia | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Probable frontotemporal dementia | Y | Y |
| Cognitive Status | Psychiatric assessment | Y | Y |
| Self Report Cognitive Status | Age at which memory loss noticed | Y | |
| Self Report Cognitive Status | CERAD question on insight | Y | Y |
| Self Report Cognitive Status | Current memory loss | Y | Y |
| Self Report Cognitive Status | Number of months since start of memory loss | Y | |
| Self Report Cognitive Status | Spatial/temporal disorientation | Y | Y |
Lifestyle
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | Units of alcohol per week (past/present) | Y | |
| Alcohol | Years of/since max alcohol consumption | Y | |
| Diet | Appetite problems | Y | Y |
| Physical | History of boxing or football as adult | Y | |
| Smoking | Cigarette equivalent per week | Y | |
| Smoking | Whether patient ever smoked/smokes now | Y | |
| Smoking | Year stopped smoking | Y | |
| Smoking | Years as smoker | Y | |
| Travel | Currently driving | Y |
Physical Environment
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | Patient's accommodation type | Y |
Physical Examination
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain | Cerebellar signs | Y | Y |
| Brain | Cranial nerve examination | Y | Y |
| Brain | Electrical activity of brain measured with electrodes to scalp | Y | |
| Brain | Motor/extra pyramidal symptoms | Y | Y |
| Eye | Retinal examination | Y | Y |
| Eye | Visual field examination | Y | Y |
| Heart | Carotid bruits | Y | Y |
| Heart | Heart rhythm | Y | Y |
| Heart | Heart sounds normal | Y | Y |
| Heart | Peripheral pulse absent | Y | Y |
| Heart | Pulse rate (bpm) | Y | Y |
| Heart | Systolic/diastolic blood pressure | Y | Y |
| Lung | Respiratory examination | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Gait abnormality | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Grasp reflex | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Jaw jerk | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Snout reflex | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Sucking reflex | Y | Y |
| Mobility | Wandering | Y | Y |
| Sensory | Pinprick sense | Y | Y |
| Sensory | Proprioceptive sense | Y | Y |
| Sensory | Touch sense | Y | Y |
| Sensory | Vibration sense | Y | Y |
Biosample Assays
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry | ALA aminotransferase | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Albumin | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Alkaline phosphatase | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Bilirubin | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Calcium | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Creatinine | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Other lab tests | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Potassium | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Random glucose | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Serum cell folate | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Sodium | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Thyroid stimulating hormone | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Total protein | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Urea | Y | |
| Biochemistry | Vitamin B12 | Y | |
| Haematology | Blood cholesterol | Y | |
| Haematology | Haematocrit | Y | |
| Haematology | Haemoglobin | Y | |
| Haematology | Mast cell volume | Y | |
| Haematology | Plasma viscosity | Y | |
| Haematology | Platelet count | Y | |
| Haematology | Red/white blood cell count | Y | |
| Immunology | Veneral Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test for syphilis indication | Y |
Genomics
| Sub-category | Variable type | Baseline | Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genotyping | Patient agreed to donate blood sample for genotyping | Y |