Published December 11, 2025 | Version 1
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Cognitive data harmonization manual: A project of the Netherlands Consortium of Dementia Cohorts

  • 1. ROR icon Maastricht University
  • 2. ROR icon Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc
  • 3. Leiden University Medical Center
  • 4. UMCG
  • 5. Erasmus MC
  • 6. ROR icon University Medical Center Utrecht
  • 7. ROR icon Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • 8. ROR icon National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
  • 9. Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Location VUmc
  • 10. ROR icon University Medical Center Groningen
  • 11. University of Amsterdam
  • 12. Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
  • 13. ROR icon Amsterdam University Medical Centers
  • 14. ROR icon Maastricht University Medical Centre
  • 15. ROR icon University of California San Francisco Medical Center
  • 16. ROR icon Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • 17. Karolinska Institutet

Contributors

  • 1. ROR icon Alzheimer Nederland

Description

This manual provides detailed guidance on the harmonisation of cognitive data from nine Dutch cohorts relevant to dementia research. It was developed by the cognitive data harmonization working group of the Netherlands Consortium of Dementia Cohorts (NCDC).

Who is it for?

  1. Researchers working with NCDC cognitive data: the manual offers clear, step-by-step directions for harmonizing data within the consortium;
  2. Researchers aiming to harmonize cognitive data from other cohort studies: it serves as a practical example and reference for designing harmonization strategies in similar projects.

What does it include?

  • A summary of NCDC cohort characteristics;
  • Definitions of cognitive status across cohorts and guidance for creating an overarching definition;
  • An overview of available cognitive tests and instructions for standardizing and pooling cognition data;
  • Practical recommendations for handling learning effects and outliers.

Originally published as supplementary material in: Oomens, J.E., Moonen, J.E., Vos, S.J. et al. Identifying pathways to the prevention of dementia: the Netherlands consortium of dementia cohorts. BMC Neurol 25, 59 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-024-03995-4.

For questions about this manual or advice on the harmonisation of dementia-related research data, please contact Dr. Willemijn Jansen at Maastricht University: Willemijn.jansen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Files

Cognitive harmonisation manual NCDC.pdf

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Additional details

Related works

Is supplement to
Journal article: 10.1186/s12883-024-03995-4 (DOI)

Funding

Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
73305095005

Dates

Available
2025-02-12
Collected
2023-04-28/2024-01-31