Autism:
Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment (STAART) FAQ's :
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A Family/Genetic Study of Autism: Implicit Learning Ability in Individuals with Autism :
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Aging:
Advanced Glycation Ed Products (AGEs) and Alzheimer's Disease FAQ's:
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Age at Onset and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Very Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease :
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Cognitive Function in Offspring of Hispanic Oldest-Old :
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Schizophrenia:
MGS (The Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia) :
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Consortium on the Genetics of Endophenotypes and Schizophrenia (COGS) :
Q: Will we be asked to take or change any medications?
A: NO! We will not ask you to change any or add any medications. We will, however, ask you to report any medications that you are currently on for our records.
Q: When will my family be called in to do the research?
A: We will begin testing in July 2003, and will continue testing over the next 2-5 years. This will allow us enough time to ensure that we can get everyone in to participate. We can only test two people at a time, however, so the testing process is a bit slow. Please be patient with us and know that we value your time and effort, and we will try to be as timely as possible.
Q: What if my parents are older than 65? Or what if I have children/siblings younger than 18?
A: If your parents are over age 65 we would still like to include them in the study. Their participation, however, will be different than the rest of your families. For anyone over age 65 we will ask that they give blood, and participate in an interview, if possible. They will not, however, be included in any of the endophenotype measures.
If you have siblings/children that are under age 18 they, unfortunately, cannot be included in our study. If your siblings/children are under age 18 and are having symptoms of schizophrenia, or have been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, we do have another study they would be eligible for.
Q: How long does the testing usually last?
A: The first testing day will last anywhere from 2-5 hours, depending on the length of each interview. We will also be doing the blood draw on that day. The second day of testing will last approximately 6 hours.
Q: What if I work all day during the week?
A: We can arrange testing times to fit your schedule. We will be able to accommodate people who can only come in on nights or weekends.
Q: Will we be able to see our results from the endophenotype testing?
A: We take confidentiality very seriously in our research studies. All of our research records are kept confidential to the extent provided by law. When you come in for testing, you will be identified in the computer database only by a coded number, not by a name. Thus, we will not be able to tell you any of your “results” on any of the measures. Also, because all of our data is used entirely for research purposes no one in your family or your physician will have access to our records.