The investigation of genetic and other causes of Alzheimer's disease
requires reliable and valid methods of gathering historical data on elderly
relatives. To assess the reliability of the family history method in the
study of late-onset dementing illness, the authors studied families with
Alzheimer's disease probands and control families. The results indicated
that family history data obtained from multiple informants with
standardized instruments are consistent across informants. The rate of
Alzheimer's disease in the families studied was similar to rates found in
previous studies.Abstract Teaser