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Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome
Head E, Powell D, Gold BT, Schmitt FA.. European journal of neurodegenerative disease, 2012-12-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
A key challenge to adults with Down syndrome (DS) as they age is an increased risk for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer disease (AD). In DS persons ranging from 40-49 years of age, 5.7-55% may be clinically demented and between 50-59 years, dementia prevalence ranges from 4-55% (reviewed in [1]). Despite the wide ranges reported for dementia prevalence, a consistent feature of aging in DS is the progressive accumulation of AD brain pathologies. By the age of 40 years, virtually all have sufficient senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles for a neuropathological diagnosis of AD [2]. Thus, there is dissociation between the age of onset of AD neuropathology (40 years) and increasing signs of clinical dementia. We discuss the hypothesis that frontal impairments are a critical factor affecting cognitive function and are associated with white matter (WM) and AD neuropathology. While these may be an early sign of conversion to dementia, we also review several other clinical comorbidities that may also contribute to dementia onset.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Head, E., Powell, D., Gold, B. T., & Schmitt, F. A. (2012). Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome. European journal of neurodegenerative disease.
Vancouver
Head E, Powell D, Gold BT, Schmitt FA. Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome. European journal of neurodegenerative disease. 2012. PMID: 25285303.
BibTeX
@article{head2012-25285303,
author = {Head, E. and Powell, D. and Gold, B. T. and Schmitt, F. A.},
title = {{Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome}},
journal = {European journal of neurodegenerative disease},
year = {2012},
pmid = {25285303}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- A key challenge to adults with Down syndrome (DS) as they age is an increased risk for cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer disease (AD).
- We discuss the hypothesis that frontal impairments are a critical factor affecting cognitive function and are associated with white matter (WM) and AD neuropathology.
Why it matters
This review notes that by age 40 virtually all people with Down syndrome have enough senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles for a neuropathological diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, yet clinical dementia signs increase later. It discusses possible contributors to dementia onset but reports no treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 36 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 38 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (European journal of neurodegenerative disease) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 110 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.9 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Frederick A. Schmitt: h-index 83 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Kentucky: institution h-index 824 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25285303) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 36 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 36 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 38 out of 100. |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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