Ageing and Down syndrome: Neurocognitive characteristics and pharmacological treatment.

Ageing and Down syndrome: Neurocognitive characteristics and pharmacological treatment. Hell J Nucl Med. 2019 Jan-Apr;22 Suppl:123-132 Authors: Malegiannaki AC, Katsarou D, Liolios A, Zisi V Abstract Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) are commonly characterized by unique neurocognitive and neurobehavioural profiles that emerge within specific stages in the developmental continuum. A plethora of studies have confirmed DS's relationship to premature aging and subsequent cognitive decline. Due to having three copies of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene which results in amyloid-beta plaque deposition, the cognitive decline often resembles the decline observed in Alzheimer's disease. More specifically, as individuals with DS mature in age (>40) they experience a dramatic increase in difficulties in several cognitive domains, such as language, visuo-spatial abilities, executive functions, working memory, etc. Especially, frontal functions are reported to show an inverse correlation with age. In contrast to the pronounced and well-described neuropsychological deficits, psychiatric symptoms presented by this patient category are not uniform. Mental health disturbances commonly include general anxiety, obsessive-compulsive or oppositional/aggressive behaviors, depression and sleep disorders, as well as self-injury and behavior belonging to autistic spectrum disorders. Therefore, the purpose of the present review is twofold. Our fir...
Source: Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine - Category: Nuclear Medicine Tags: Hell J Nucl Med Source Type: research