Adults with Down syndrome demonstrate striatum-first amyloid accumulation with [11C]Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, which has not been replicated with [18F]florbetapir (FBP). Early striatal accumulation has not been temporally quantified with respect to global cortical measures.
Bradley Christian
New study shows nuanced and complex relationship between tau and brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s Disease
At a Glance Loss of synapses, the connections between neurons that allow them to communicate, is a primary driver of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers expected a strong connection between synapse loss and tau …
A family’s commitment to Down syndrome research at the Waisman Center spans four decades and counting
When Heather Huismann was in middle school she called the police on her teacher. “He was not teaching me very well,” Heather says.
Andrew McVea, MS, (Christian Lab) – Slide of the Week
Earlier beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque accumulation and a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease is seen in the Down syndrome (DS) population due to the triplication of chromosome 21 containing the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene.
Understanding the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease
Allison and Amber Westemeier get excited every time they take a trip to the Waisman Center from Oshkosh, WI.
Brad Christian, PhD – Slide of the Week
The extent to which amyloid-β burden and neurofibrillary tau tangle burden are associated with synaptic degeneration in vivo is not well known.
Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Consortium – Down Syndrome: ABC-DS (Christian & Hartley)
The National Institutes of Health-funded Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS), a large multi-center research initiative to find biomarkers to track Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome. The Waisman Center is part of this multi-site …
The beginnings and evolution of brain imaging at the Waisman Center
The development of brain imaging techniques has helped us understand emotion, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases in ways we could not before.
Thoughts of gratitude: The Dewey family is a catalyst of support for the Waisman Center
Individuals with Down syndrome are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and it typically presents it at an earlier age than the general population. It is estimated that 90% of people with Down syndrome will have developed Alzheimer’s by age 65.
Brad Christian, PhD – Slide of the Week
PET amyloid [11C]PiB imaging has revealed early detection of Aβ in the striatum in individuals with Down Syndrome (DS), a group carrying genetic risk for AD.