Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS)
The first Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS) ran from 1989 to 2011 with the aim of investigating dementia and cognitive decline in people aged over 65 years in England and Wales. Random samples of people in their 65th year and above were obtained from Family Health Service Authority lists from six centres across England and Wales: Cambridgeshire, Gwynedd, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, and Liverpool. Five of the centres (known as the identical sites) started in 1991 and follow an identical study design, while the centre in Liverpool began in 1989 with a different design and was known as the MRC Ageing in Liverpool Project-Health Aspects (MRC-ALPHA) study. In the five identical sites, the sample was stratified by age group (65-74 years and 75 years and over) and equal numbers were randomly selected from each age group.
Study design
Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
5,222 (MRC-ALPHA participants)
13,004 (identical site participants)
Age at first data collection
≥ 65 years (participants)
Participant year of birth
< 1926 (participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
Over 65's across Cambridgeshire, Gwynedd, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, and Liverpool.
Sample features
Countries
Year of first data collection
1991 (identical sites)
1989 (Liverpool/MRC-ALPHA)
Primary Institutions
University of Cambridge
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
National Health Service (NHS)
Ongoing?
No
Data types collected
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- Interview – face-to-face
- Physical or biological assessment (e.g. blood, saliva, gait, grip strength, anthropometry)
- None
- None
- Census data
- Healthcare data
Engagement
Keywords
Consortia and dataset groups
