The proposed Coordinating Center (CC) will participate with the selected intervention Sites and the National Institute on Aging Program Administrator to carry out social and behavioral research on interventions designed to enhance family caregiving for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. The proposed CC will bring together substantive, methodological, analytic, and managerial expertise from the Department of Psychiatry and the Epidemiology Data Center of the University of Pittsburgh. Responsibilities of the CC include the following: ) ldentify and compile background information regarding family caregiver research, including specification of available measurement tools and their psychometric properties; 2) Work with other investigators to identify, select, and psychometrically evaluate measures considered for inclusion in the common data set; 3) Develop standardized data collection protocol and data management system; 4) Collect, edit, store, and analyze all shared data; 5) Arrange all conference calls and meetings including the annual meetings of the Advisory Panel. Other specific tasks to be undertaken by the CC include providing technical assistance to investigators on all aspects of conducting the proposed study, monitoring recruitment and retention, providing training to assure consistent implementation of the common protocol, developing and implementing a quality control system for data collection, preparing and devloping all data collection forms, producing and updating a manual of operations, and devising plans for dissemination of information resulting from these studies. Quarterly progress reports will be written and sent to all intervention Sites, NlA, in addition to writing reports and providing data as needed for the Steering Committee. CC staff will collaborate with other investigators in the preparation and dissemination of research findings resulting from this research program.
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