The Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementias (GARD) cohort: Over a decade of Asia's largest longitudinal multimodal study

TL;DR

The GARD study in South Korea tracks dementia progression using a large, long-term dataset to find biomarkers and improve Alzheimer's research in East Asia.

Contribution

GARD is Asia's largest longitudinal multimodal cohort for Alzheimer's, offering Korean-specific insights and global research value.

Findings

Enrolled 12,877 participants with diverse cognitive statuses for multi-omics and imaging data.

Includes extensive neuroimaging and multi-omics data for biomarker discovery and disease heterogeneity analysis.

Aims to identify Korean-specific biomarkers for early detection and cognitive decline prediction.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major public health concern in Korea, with a high prevalence among older adults. A community‐based longitudinal study is essential for tracking disease progression, identifying biomarkers, and developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies. The Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementias (GARD) cohort was established to address these needs through a multimodal approach.

Participants aged ≥60 years undergo comprehensive clinical evaluations, neuroimaging, and biospecimen collection for multi‐omics analyses (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metagenomics) at baseline and systematic follow‐up visits.

From over 17,000 screened individuals, 12,877 were enrolled. Baseline diagnoses include 5,123 cognitively unimpaired (CU), 3,250 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 2,125 AD dementia. The resource includes magnetic resonance imaging scans (n = 10,843) and extensive multi‐omics data: genomic (n = 10,775), proteomic (n = 116), and microbiome (n = 595).

The integrated GARD dataset provides a powerful and scalable resource for identifying novel biomarkers, understanding disease heterogeneity, and advancing precision medicine for AD.

Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementias (GARD) is a large‐scale, longitudinal, community‐based cohort study in South Korea.The study focuses on early detection and monitoring of dementia progression.GARD includes cognitive testing, imaging, biospecimens, and multi‐omics data.We aim to identify Korean‐specific biomarkers predictive of cognitive decline.Supports East Asian insights and fills gaps in global Alzheimer's research.

Gwangju Alzheimer's & Related Dementias (GARD) is a large‐scale, longitudinal, community‐based cohort study in South Korea.

The study focuses on early detection and monitoring of dementia progression.

GARD includes cognitive testing, imaging, biospecimens, and multi‐omics data.

We aim to identify Korean‐specific biomarkers predictive of cognitive decline.

Supports East Asian insights and fills gaps in global Alzheimer's research.

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