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Alzheimer-like visual deficits in Down syndrome
Rocco FJ, Cronin-Golomb A, Lai F.. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders, 1997-06-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) show visual impairments in color discrimination (blue hues), stereoacuity, and contrast sensitivity. We asked whether the AD-type visual profile occurs in Down syndrome (DS) in light of the fact that AD neuropathology is present in DS by age 40. We tested 22 adults with DS and 18 adults with mental retardation of non-DS etiology (MR). DS subjects made more tritanomalous errors on the test of color vision than predicated by chance (p < 0.05), indicating a deficiency in the discrimination of short wavelengths (blue hues) but not more of other types of hue discrimination errors. DS subjects had higher stereoacuity thresholds than MR subjects (p < 0.01) and reduced contrast sensitivity across the frequency range (p < 0.01). Taken together, the results point to AD-like visual deficits in DS. Like classic AD, DS may be associated with pathological changes in the parastriate and peristriate visual cortex. DS performance was not correlated with age, suggesting that in individual subjects, the AD-like visual deficits may present prior to and independent of age-associated dementia.
Key findings
- Taken together, the results point to AD-like visual deficits in DS.
- Like classic AD, DS may be associated with pathological changes in the parastriate and peristriate visual cortex.
- DS performance was not correlated with age, suggesting that in individual subjects, the AD-like visual deficits may present prior to and independent of age-associated dementia.
Why it matters
In 22 adults with Down syndrome compared with 18 adults with mental retardation of non-Down syndrome cause, the Down syndrome group showed more tritanomalous color errors, higher stereoacuity thresholds and reduced contrast sensitivity, resembling visual deficits seen in Alzheimer disease. The authors suggest these deficits may appear before and independently of age-associated dementia, but this is a small study and not a treatment or prevention finding.
Study details
- Participants22
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 36/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer disease and associated disorders) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders: journal h-index 131 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1997 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 22 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 14 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 31 year(s) since 1997 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Florence Lai: h-index 28 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Massachusetts General Hospital: institution h-index 2,057 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 9194955) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 36 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rocco, F. J., Cronin-Golomb, A., & Lai, F. (1997). Alzheimer-like visual deficits in Down syndrome. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002093-199706000-00005
Vancouver
Rocco FJ, Cronin-Golomb A, Lai F. Alzheimer-like visual deficits in Down syndrome. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders. 1997. doi:10.1097/00002093-199706000-00005. PMID: 9194955.
BibTeX
@article{rocco1997-9194955,
author = {Rocco, F. J. and Cronin-Golomb, A. and Lai, F.},
title = {{Alzheimer-like visual deficits in Down syndrome}},
journal = {Alzheimer disease and associated disorders},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1097/00002093-199706000-00005},
pmid = {9194955},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/00002093-199706000-00005}
}
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