The first aim of this paper was to address the logistics and feasibility of locating, recruiting, and evaluating older COGA participants with a lifetime history of DSM-IV alcohol dependence. Although this sample is not epidemiological in nature, the long-term outcome of subjects from high-risk families has not been well studied prospectively, and for this reason we considered this investigation to critical to help fill this gap. Within a short period of 12 months, we were able to locate 60% of targeted individuals who had not been contacted for an average of 23 years. We anticipate that another 15% to 25% of this pilot sample will be located with additional time and resources as part of the more comprehensive follow-up study. Individuals with younger relatives currently participating in the prospective study were easier to locate and to confirm as living or deceased, consistent with Hypothesis 1. These family connections, which are an integral part of COGA’s design, helped counterbalance the constraints imposed by the short time frame of the pilot study, as well as the challenges associated with following subjects with
