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).
Sigan Hartley
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 …
Sigan Hartley, PhD – Slide of the Week
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report elevated parenting stress. The current study examined bidirectional effects between parenting stress and three domains of child functioning (ASD symptoms, internalizing behavior problems, and externalizing behavior problems) across four time points in 188 families of children with ASD (originally aged 5 to 12 yrs).
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 …
Sigan Hartley, PhD – Slide of the Week
We compared the couple conflict of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to a comparison group of parents of children without disabilities using self-reported and observational measures.
Researchers gain insight into day-to-day lives of parents raising children with autism
Like all parents, couples who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share the ups and downs of parenting. A new study by Waisman Center researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison looks at the …
Sigan Hartley, PhD
Title: Family Context and Parenting Experiences in Autism Legend: Family context (having multiple children with special needs [Fig 1], household income [Fig 2], and parent level of broader autism phenotype [BAP; Fig 3] moderated spillover of …
Waisman Center partners on new multi-site NIH initiative to find Alzheimer’s biomarkers in Down syndrome
Brad Christian, PhD, Waisman investigator and associate professor of medical physics and psychiatry, is part of a new National Institutes of Health initiative to identify biomarkers and track the progression of Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome.
Sigan Hartley, PhD
Title: Support Needs of Fathers and Mothers of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Legend: Left, top image: The most support needs most frequently rated as both important and unmet for both mothers and …
Down syndrome helps researchers understand Alzheimer’s disease
The link between a protein typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on memory and cognition may not be as clear as once thought, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s …