Many alcohol-aging interactions will be understood only by studying older adults. Older adults with alcohol problems can be difficult to identify, however. Many show great reluctance to talk about their drinking practices or to participate in research. Others, who are willing, may not have the requisite physical health to meet rigorous research criteria. Thus, to enable research investigations on alcohol and aging to proceed when aged subjects are being studied, dedicated personnel, age-specific training and standardized procedures are required. The UMARC Subject Recruitment, Data Management and Analysis Core has been responsible for hiring and training personnel, identifying, recruiting and assessing subjects, managing data, and assisting in data analysis. This Core has achieved all its original aims. In the new project period, successful strategies will be continued to accomplish the following specific aims: 1) to operate a shared, efficient, and cost-effective screening and recruitment program to identify train personnel to conduct uniform, standardized screening assessments; to formulate structured diagnoses; and to conduct reliable clinical ratings of all research subjects; 3) to obtain standardized, uniform drinking histories for research subjects; 4) to coordinate recruitment of patients with alcohol-related problems on-site at affiliated treatment centers; 5) to support and coordinate accurate, efficient data collection and storage for UMARC protocols; and 6) to provide early, continuous, and expert biostatistical support in project planning, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. Strategies will be initiated or enhanced to achieve these new objectives: 1) to develop special strategies for locating and recruiting patients with unique conditions (e.g., alcohol cerebellar degeneration) to enable investigators to achieve their aims; 2) to refine strategies for recruitment of selected demographic subgroups (e.g., age extremes, gender, racial) to guarantee diverse representation in our subject pool, and to ensure adequate numbers for studies specifically studying those subgroups; 3) to centralize follow-up assessments; and 4) to operate a centralized data management system to facilitate use of shared data, computer resources, and technical expertise. To achieve these objectives, the Subject Recruitment, Data Management, and Analysis Core will continue in is current structure as two closely-integrated subcores, one responsible for recruitment, assessment, and diagnosis, the other centralized, efficient, cost-effective research support services to the UMARC investigators to enable them to achieve the specific aims of their research projects.
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