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Between 2012 and 2017, as part of an OATS imaging sub-study, many participants were invited to undergo positron emission tomography (PET) scans, measuring accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amyloid plaques are thought to predict memory decline with age. Performing these scans in twins has helped us determine the genetic component of amyloid plaque deposition, demonstrating this is moderately heritable. Conversely, the data also suggest there is a substantial environmental contribution to the development of the plaques, which indicates there are potentially modifiable environmental factors that can be targeted with prevention strategies. The data from the PET scans will also help us to establish how these amyloid plaques relate to performance in memory and thinking ability. For this sub-study, 207 participants in New South Wales and Victoria were assessed and scanned; 39 of these in their 4th follow up between 2015 and 2017.

In 2017, the OATS study site in Queensland was closed, followed by the study site in Melbourne closing in 2018. OATS then moved our study assessments to an online platform before we commenced follow-up of our existing participants and invited new participants into the study. By doing the assessments online, we were able to invite the 1/3 of Australian twins living outside major cities to participate. The online assessment includes answering questions about participants’ health, lifestyle, memory and thinking and a neuropsychological assessment. Engaging with participants in rural settings aimed to enable investigation of a broader variety of environmental influences on healthy ageing, including different health seeking behaviour, potentially associated with variation in ready access to health care services.

The OATS Study has collected a unique data set from which we can examine genetic and environmental influences on a range of ageing-related issues. In particular we are investigating links between cognitive function and brain chemistry over time which has not been looked at previously. The diversity and depth of our work has also allowed us to form collaborative partnerships with other twin studies around the world, including the IGEMS. These collaborations are important as we have the opportunity to further enlarge our sample size and thereby better address genetic questions, which require large samples. While OATS ceased participant assessment in 2021 due to a lack of grant funding for this study, analysis of data is ongoing.

Aims

The OATS aims to find out what influences memory and thinking as we age. It investigates environmental influences such as lifetime physical and mental activity, socioeconomic environment, and nutrition. It also investigates how biological factors such as hypertension and antioxidant levels interact with genes to influence brain ageing. Over time, the expression of genes varies depending on different influences in the environment, and by studying twins, OATS aims to determine which influences on the ageing process are genetic, which are environmental, and how the two interact.

Data access

OATS shares data and biological samples provided by our participants with other research groups, both at other universities, research institutes and commercial companies. Data sharing occurs via application to the CHeBA Research Bank and involves a review for scientific rigour by the OATS Governance Committee. Sharing enhances the possibility of science and/or medical breakthroughs and increases the chance that preventative and interventional therapies will be applied broadly in the wider community.

If you are/were an OATS participant and this data sharing arrangement raises any concerns for you, you can contact our team by emailingÌýCHeBAData@unsw.edu.auÌýor by phoning 02 9385 7357.