Detecting genetic loci for preservation of cognition in the Midwestern United States Amish

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and has limited treatments. While AD risk has a large genetic component, under 50% of the genetic risk has been identified. By focusing on identifying genetic variants that delay or prevent the onset of AD, our goal is to identify new associated genes and variants. To detect such loci, we studied cognitive preservation in the Midwestern Amish, a genetically and culturally isolated population of European descent.