Treasure trove of data on aging publicly accessible

The data of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) are now available to researchers worldwide at the Research Data Center of the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID)

2026-01-12

(Press-News.org) The Berlin Aging Study was carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in cooperation with partners from geriatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and the social sciences. BASE is regarded as a pioneering project of multidisciplinary gerontology, examining the lives of older Berliners aged between 70 and over 100 years.

A window into life in old age

Between 1990 and 1993, 516 inhabitants of former West-Berlin were interviewed and examined by geriatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists. They were up to seven times reassessed across a period of almost 20 years.

The data set comprises up to 10,000 variables per person and includes information on the participants’ physical and mental health, life satisfaction, social inclusion, and economic situation. This makes it possible to answer questions such as: Why do people age differently? How do physical, psychological, and social factors contribute to a long life? And what happens to health and well-being in the final years of life?

“The Berlin Aging Study is a most valuable asset for research on aging,” says Ulman Lindenberger, Director of the Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. “So far only parts of the data have been analyzed. Many questions can still be answered with these data.” The data set includes detailed longitudinal data on health that can be associated with changes in other functional domains. For example, one could examine the links between dental health and cognitive functioning, between different aspects of social participation and dementia/depression, or between living conditions and loneliness.

From data collection to an open research archive

Since the early 1990s, more than 500 academic articles based on the BASE data have been published. The data also form the basis for successor studies such as the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II), and they are part of international research projects such as the European Lifebrain consortium that studies brain health.

The processed and integrated BASE data are now available at the ZPID Research Data Center in a standardized and well-documented format. “With BASE, we are extending our range by an internationally recognized gerontological data set,” says Katarina Blask, Head of Archiving and Publication Services at ZPID. “The provision of the structured data and the relevant accompanying materials according to FAIR principles allows researchers from all over the world to work with BASE data.”

A contribution to open aging research

Open access increases the opportunities to examine individual and societal aging processes. The data availability makes it easier to compare cohorts, particularly those in BASE-II, as well as regions and disciplines, and promotes cooperation between research institutions.

“We regard the publication of the data as a contribution to an open, sustainable research culture,” says Lindenberger. “BASE shows how carefully collected and documented longitudinal data can provide new insights into life in old age for decades.”

At a glance

Treasure trove of data on aging: The data of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) are now publicly available for research via the Research Data Center of the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID). An internationally recognized gerontological data set has thus been secured for the long term and made internationally accessible. Unique data basis: BASE unites medical, psychiatric, psychological, and sociological perspectives and comprises up to 10,000 variables per person. The data offer detailed insights into health, life satisfaction, social networks, and the economic situation of older people aged 70 to over 100 years. New opportunities for research and teaching: The structured availability via the ZPID opens new analysis avenues for junior as well as senior scientists. Many scientific questions can still be answered with this comprehensive material. Further information:

Access via ZPID (German): https://rdc-psychology.org/de/daten-nutzen/berliner-altersstudie Access via ZPID (English): https://rdc-psychology.org/en/reuse-data/base END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Trees4Adapt project to address risks from climate change and biodiversity loss through tree-based solutions

2026-01-12

Researchers from the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program are involved in the recently launched EU-funded Trees4Adapt project. The project focuses on tree-based solutions for climate adaptation, aiming to strengthen Europe’s adaptation and resilience to climate change in a way that supports people and nature. Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most pressing challenges of our time. These crises are deeply interconnected, creating complex risks that threaten ecosystems, human wellbeing, and the economy. Yet, current decision-making and land-use planning often fails to account for this interconnectedness, limiting ...

Nature Communications study from the Lundquist Institute identifies molecular mechanism underlying peripartum cardiomyopathy

2026-01-12

Scientists at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation have identified a previously unknown molecular safeguard that protects the heart during pregnancy, shedding new light on the causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and life-threatening form of pregnancy-related heart failure. In a study published in Nature Communications, Michelle L. Matter, PhD, and her team reveal that the gene PTRH2 plays a critical role in helping the maternal heart adapt to pregnancy-induced stress. “This work identifies a previously unrecognized molecular safeguard in the heart,” said Dr. Matter. “Understanding how the heart normally ...

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Gang Hu appointed to NIH Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Health Review Group

2026-01-12

BATON ROUGE, La. – Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Dr. Gang Hu of the Center’s Chronic Disease Epidemiology Lab was recently appointed to serve as a member of the Population Sciences and Epidemiology Integrated Review Group (IRG) for the NIH Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Health (RPPH) study section. The IRG for the RPPH previews applications submitted to the NIH, makes recommendations on the applications to ...

World-first project shows great promise to treat low eye pressure

2026-01-12

A new study demonstrates the effectiveness of a widely-used eye injection to manage the previously untreatable rare condition, hypotony, in a project by clinical researchers at University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Hospital. Hypotony is characterised by abnormally low eye pressure, which alters the eye’s normal shape and internal structure. Over time, this can lead to progressive and permanent vision loss, often taking several years to result in blindness. Hypotony may develop as a result of underlying eye conditions that damage the part of the eye responsible for producing the fluid that maintains normal eye pressure. Until now, ...

New technique puts rendered fabric in the best light

2026-01-12

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Fabric has long been difficult to render digitally because of the myriad ways different yarns can be woven or knitted together. Now, Cornell researchers, in partnership with the technology company NVIDIA, have developed a method for creating digital images of cloth that more accurately captures the texture of textiles. The team’s new study, presented Dec. 16 at the Association for Computing Machinery’s SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 meeting in Hong Kong, models how light interacts with yarns – both as it passes through and reflects ...

Brain cancer digital twin predicts treatment outcomes

2026-01-12

Illustrations of brain cancer digital twin A new machine-learning-based approach to mapping real-time tumor metabolism in brain cancer patients, developed at the University of Michigan, could help doctors discover which treatment strategies are most likely to be effective against individual cases of glioma. The team verified the accuracy of the model by comparing it against human patient data and running mouse experiments. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, builds on previous research showing that some gliomas can be slowed down ...

Cat disease challenges what scientists thought about coronaviruses

2026-01-12

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have uncovered new details about how a once-deadly coronavirus disease in cats spreads through the immune system. The findings may help scientists better understand long COVID and other long-lasting inflammatory illnesses in people. The disease, feline infectious peritonitis or FIP, is caused by a form of feline coronavirus that changes inside some cats. If left untreated, it is almost always fatal. While FIP only affects cats, it shares many features with serious coronavirus-related conditions in humans, including ...

Paulson Family Foundation makes an additional $19 million donation to Hebrew University to fund a new building for electrical engineering. Together with its previous gift brings the total donation to

2026-01-12

The Paulson Family Foundation announced an additional $19 million donation to Hebrew University. Together with the foundation's previous donation of $27 million, this brings its total support to $46 million. The donation will be used for expansion of a state-of-the-art research and teaching complex dedicated to STEM disciplines critical to Israel's high-tech future. The combined gifts represent one of the largest donations ever received by the Hebrew University, and represent a significant investment in Israeli higher education and innovation. Both donations are designated for the expansion of a cutting-edge complex on the Edmond J. Safra Campus in Givat Ram, ...

Canada–Estonia partnership advances community-centered clean energy

2026-01-12

A new international partnership between institutes in Canada and Estonia is accelerating community-based clean energy transformation in the European Union, with benefits for island communities abroad and across Canada. The ACET–Estonian Islands Community Energy Partnership unites the University of Victoria (UVic)-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative with the Estonian Islands Energy Agency (EISEA) to co-design and deliver applied clean energy research that responds directly to local priorities. By ...

Sandia’s economic impact sets record for 17th consecutive year

2026-01-12

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories generated a record $5.2 billion in economic impact in 2025, marking the 17th consecutive year Sandia has set a new high, according to its annual economic impact report released this week. The total represents a $40.5 million increase from 2024 and more than doubles Sandia’s economic impact from 12 years ago, reinforcing the laboratories’ role as one of New Mexico’s largest employers and economic engines. “Sandia has been a strong part of New Mexico’s economy for more than 75 years,” said Labs Director Laura McGill. “We are extremely ...