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37/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 37 out of 100. Down syndrome and Alzheimer's

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background Down syndrome (DS) entails widespread age-related functional decline affecting multiple organ systems, including genetically determined early-onset Alzheimer disease (DSAD), resulting in an increased vulnerability to frailty early in life. We investigated the relationship between frailty, cognition and intellectual disability (ID) in adults with DS and explored biomarkers associated with frailty. Methods This cross-sectional study investigated 148 consecutive patients at a DSAD outpatient clinic. We applied correlation analyses and hierarchical linear models to determine associations of the Frailty Index for people with Intellectual Disabilities-short form (ID-FI SF ) with measures of cognition (Cambridge cognitive assessment, CAMCOG-DS), adaptive function (short adaptive behaviour scale, SABS), motor function (SPES/SCOPA), a screening tool (dementia screening questionnaire in individuals with intellectual disabilities, DSQIID-G) for dementia-related change in ADL (activities of daily living) performance, and ID severity (DSM-5). Patients were stratified as cognitively healthy, DS-MCI, DSAD dementia, secondary cognitive decline (CD) or CD of unknown cause. Exploratory analyses included blood biomarkers, bioimpedance measurements and indirect calorimetry. Results Both baseline ID severity (β = 0.093, p = 0.014) and cognitive performance (CAMCOG-DS, β = -0.0033, p SF scores. Acquired cognitive decline was associated with (pre)frailty irrespective of aetiology. After adjustment for ID severity and cognition, ID-FI SF scores were associated with adaptive function (SABS: β = -0.0033, p SF scores for markers of neurodegeneration, inflammation, body composition, cardiac function and cellular stress signalling. Conclusions Frailty in DS is associated with both ID severity and acquired cognitive decline. Future studies should determine whether severe baseline ID increases susceptibility to frailty or primarily influences frailty measurement through lower baseline functional abilities, potentially necessitating ID-adapted frailty thresholds. Biomarker associations further support a multifactorial model of frailty involving neurodegeneration, inflammation and sarcopenia-related processes.

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APA 7th

Nübling, G., Marth, L., Sandkühler, K., Stockbauer, A., Wlasich, E., Jäck, A., et al. (2026). Frailty in Adults With Down Syndrome: Cognitive, Functional and Biomarker Associations. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.70162

Vancouver

Nübling G, Marth L, Sandkühler K, Stockbauer A, Wlasich E, Jäck A, et al. Frailty in Adults With Down Syndrome: Cognitive, Functional and Biomarker Associations. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR. 2026. doi:10.1111/jir.70162. PMID: 42609160.

BibTeX

@article{nubling2026-42609160,
  author  = {Nübling, G. and Marth, L. and Sandkühler, K. and Stockbauer, A. and Wlasich, E. and Jäck, A. and Wagemann, O. and Kustermann, J. and others},
  title   = {{Frailty in Adults With Down Syndrome: Cognitive, Functional and Biomarker Associations}},
  journal = {Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1111/jir.70162},
  pmid    = {42609160},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.70162}
}

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Key findings

We investigated the relationship between frailty, cognition and intellectual disability (ID) in adults with DS and explored biomarkers associated with frailty.
Results Both baseline ID severity (β = 0.093, p = 0.014) and cognitive performance (CAMCOG-DS, β = -0.0033, p SF scores.
Acquired cognitive decline was associated with (pre)frailty irrespective of aetiology.
After adjustment for ID severity and cognition, ID-FI SF scores were associated with adaptive function (SABS: β = -0.0033, p SF scores for markers of neurodegeneration, inflammation, body composition, cardiac function and cellular stress signalling.
Conclusions Frailty in DS is associated with both ID severity and acquired cognitive decline.

Why it matters

In this cross-sectional study of 148 patients, greater frailty was associated with more severe intellectual disability and worse cognition, and acquired cognitive decline was associated with frailty regardless of cause. It identifies associations only and tests no treatment, cure, or prevention.

Study details

Study designcross-sectional
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 37/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Intellectual Disability Research: journal h-index 161 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	4 / 12	A snapshot of people at one point in time
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	5 / 5	2026 — within 1 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	0 / 7	Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026
Impact for its field and year	0 / 6	Cited 0.0× 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	0 / 4	Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Johannes Levin: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: institution h-index 1,224 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42609160)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	37 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

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