We have seen a profound increase in lifespan for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in the past few decades leading to a large and somewhat understudied population of middle- and older aged adults with DS. One health condition consistently seen in clinic-based DS samples is dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease).
Down syndrome
In Wisconsin, 3 in 5 people with Down syndrome diagnosed with dementia by age 55
By Kelly April Tyrrell Not so many years ago, people with Down syndrome rarely survived to middle age. Many died young due to heart problems associated with the congenital condition. Today, advances in treatment have …
Bradley T Christian, PhD – Slide of the Week
Title: Amyloid load in the Down syndrome population measured with [11C]PiB PET Legend: Down syndrome-specific [11C]PiB PET template images of Aβ carrying capacity and radiotracer nonspecific binding derived from PET images of 169 individuals. Tissue maps …
New funding for Down syndrome research and biobank
The Waisman Center is one of 25 recipients to receive funding through a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant that focuses on advancing research on Down syndrome. The grant is part of the NIH Investigation …
Vowel Diagnostic Treatment in Down Syndrome
The Vocal Tract Development Lab at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, needs participants with Down syndrome for a pilot research study. We have developed a diagnostic treatment study designed to improve vowel production in …
Brain Imaging Study for Adults with Down Syndrome
The Waisman Center is seeking adults with Down syndrome, ages 30 and above, for a research study involving an MRI and a PET scan to examine amyloid plaque in the brains of these individuals. Researcher …
Waisman’s stem cell research into Down syndrome gives family hope
It’s not a cure for Down syndrome that Dave Witte and Cristina Delgadillo want for their 5-year-old daughter. “Olivia is our daughter and we love her, and we love her because of who she is. …
Bradley Christian, PhD – Slide of the Week
Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome; DS) leads to an overproduction of amyloid precursor protein and an increased risk for early Alzheimer’s disease. A study of the natural history of AD-related neuropathology is ongoing to gain an understanding of the distribution and time course of b-amyloid and tau burden in the brains of adults with DS.
Studying Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down syndrome
About once every year and a half, Erin Harvey takes time off of her job as a teacher’s aide and along with her mom, Nancy, makes a two and a half hour drive from her …
Anita Bhattacharyya, PhD – Slide of the Week
Neuropathology of the Down syndrome cerebral cortex includes fewer interneurons in upper cortical layers.