BIOSTATISTICS AND DATA MANAGEMENT CORE

University Of Kentucky, Lexington KY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Biostatistics and Data Management Core (BDMC) has become a major part of the infrastructure of[unreadable] the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC). It plays an increasingly important role in data[unreadable] management, especially in reporting multiple data sets to NACC. This Core also provides an important[unreadable] service in experimental design and statistical analysis to the ADC and affiliated AD research. The BDMC[unreadable] has two specific aims, one related to quality data management and the other related to effective statistical[unreadable] consultation.[unreadable] The first specific aim is to maintain a centralized database of the information collected by all ADC cores,[unreadable] pilot projects, and affiliated AD and aging studies in an integrated manner. Relevant activities that support[unreadable] this specific aim include: ensuring confidentiality at the subject level and security at the database level with[unreadable] appropriate backup; assisting in the development of data collection forms and entering all data into the[unreadable] centralized, relational database in an accurate manner; training ADC personnel to practice quality data[unreadable] collection procedures and to meet BDMC standards; providing expertise on data management procedures to[unreadable] all ADC personnel and affiliated investigators; monitoring the flow of data in the longitudinal normal control[unreadable] and AD cohorts and the minority satellite clinic; providing monthly summaries to the ADC Executive[unreadable] Committee on subject recruitment, retention, and follow up; creating appropriate subsets of the database for[unreadable] approved investigators and collaborative projects and archiving all such requests; and reporting accurate[unreadable] and complete datasets to NACC.[unreadable] The second specific aim is to provide expertise on experimental design and statistical analysis to ADC[unreadable] cores, pilot projects, and affiliated AD projects. Relevant activities that support this specific aim include:[unreadable] consultation for investigators in the early stages of all projects, grant submissions, presentations, and[unreadable] manuscripts; reviewing all ADC pilot projects for statistical content; collaborating with other Alzheimer's[unreadable] Disease Centers on special projects of mutual interest, such as periodic conferences on quantitative[unreadable] methodologies in AD research; and incorporating advances in statistical methodology for interpreting and/or[unreadable] analyzing data collected.[unreadable] In addition, this Core continues to contribute to the literature with innovative studies on statistical[unreadable] methodology in AD research. It also participates in the training of graduate students, postdoctoral[unreadable] researchers, and young investigators.