| As people grow older... ...memory and other cognitive functions seem to decline. But is this true for everybody? Many younger people are outperformed by middle-aged or older persons on tests of cognitive functions. What are the characteristics of people who age succesfully, what causes the age-related cognitive deficits seen in usual aging, and finally, and what are the determinants of pathological aging such as dementia? These are the main questions of the Maastricht Aging Study (MAAS). This research program includes several related studies into biomedical and psychosocial aspects of cognitive aging. The core project of the MAAS is a longitudinal study in nearly 1900 individuals aged between 24 and 81 years. Since 1992 participants were tested at fixed intervals over a period of 12 years. MAAS is carried out at Maastricht University and is based at the Maastricht Brain and Behavior institute, in association with the ExTra institute for extramural research, and the Registration Network of Family Practices (RNH). The river that runs through the heart of Maastricht is also named 'Maas'. It symbolizes both the connection between the city and the MAAS study, and also the continuity that characterizes this longitudinal project. |
