Alzheimer's disease development in adults with Down syndrome: Caregivers' perspectives

Caregivers' concerns and supports needed to care for adults with Down syndrome

Research regarding caregivers for individuals with Down syndrome mainly focuses on outcomes for the pediatric population and not on the experience of caregivers themselves. Our objective was to understand caregiver-reported experiences and concerns for themselves and the individual they care for through a survey of caregivers of adults with Down syndrome. We conducted a survey of N = 438 caregivers of adults with Down syndrome and asked about the perspectives of the respondents surrounding caregiving and demographics. The most common concerns among caregivers were planning for future needs (72.1%) and what happens when they (the caregiver) are gone (68.3%). Concerns they had for the individual they cared for were employment (63.2%) and friendships/relationships (63.2%). We found no significant difference in responses based on caregiver education level. Our survey identified six themes for the feedback about what clinical and research professionals should know to better serve individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and those who support them. Many caregivers discussed topics including healthcare, coordination, competence, and ability. More efforts for research into the caregiver experience for adults with Down syndrome are needed.

Adaptation at the Family Level in Families of Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review

Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal disorder associated with intellectual and physical disabilities and has historically been viewed by health care providers through a negative lens when considering the effect the condition has on the individual, family, and community. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of recent research concerning adaptation in families of individuals with DS with a focus on family adaptation rather than individual or dyadic adaptation. Three literature indexes were searched from 2017 to 2022, with 41 articles included. Foci of the studies included strength/resilience, stress/coping, and negative/challenge. Thirteen studies reported using a family framework. Multiple methodological approaches and family measures were used in the studies and are outlined. Findings from this review show there has been a shift in focus when researching families of individuals with DS from a negative and challenging experience to one of strength and resilience.

Analysis of the Effects of Curculin on Neuronal Cells, Glutamate Transporter Solute Carrier Family 1, Learning and Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease Rats

Our study assessed curculin’s effects on neurons, GLT-1, and behavioral learning ability of AD rats. 40 rats were divided randomly into low curculoside group (CAS1 group), high curculoside group (CAS2 group), normal group (WG group) and model group (GS group) (stereotactic injection of Aβ into hippocampus) followed by analysis of learning ability by Y-maze, GLT-1 level by immunofluorescence histochemistry, neuron morphology by HE staining, GLU content by HPLC, GLT-1 level by western blot, and apoptosis by TUNEL assay. Compared with WG group, GS group had significantly elevated number of exercises and wrong actions, total reaction time and Glu content (20.52±2.09 μmol/L versus 7.51±1.21 μmol/L) and reduced GLT-1 level (0.47±0.06 versus 1.23±0.07) (P < 0.01). In addition, increased apoptosis rate was found in GS group (69.78±9.97) compared to WG group (8.42±2.13) (P < 0.01). Compared with GS group, CAS1 and CAS2 groups had improved changes (P < 0.01) with more improvement in CAS2 group than CAS1 group. In conclusion, curculoside can inhibit GLU expression, reduce neuronal cell apoptosis, and improve the learning ability of AD rats, which may be related to the inhibition of GLT-1 in AD rats.

Brief report: Caregiver perceived physical activity preferences of adults with Down syndrome

BACKGROUND

Adults with Down syndrome commonly have low levels of physical activity and face social barriers to engaging in physical activity, including boredom and companionship concerns. Adults with Down syndrome are at increased risk for several co-occurring medial conditions known to benefit from physical activity, including obesity and dementia.

METHOD

This study surveyed 140 caregivers of adults with Down syndrome to determine the physical activity preferences of their adult with Down syndrome.

RESULTS

Dancing was the most frequently caregiver-reported physical activity preference for adults with Down syndrome, followed by walking and active video gaming. Rowing, using an elliptical machine, and jogging were the least preferred activities. Most caregivers reported that their adult with Down syndrome has a companion available for physical activity.

CONCLUSION

Promoting dance in adults with Down syndrome, a caregiver-reported preferred form of physical activity, may help improve physical activity levels and decrease sedentary behaviours in this population.

Down syndrome and dementia: advances in the field

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

People with Down syndrome represent the world's largest population with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. This review will provide a short summary of what is known and will include recent findings from the field.

RECENT FINDINGS

There has been an increasing focus on biomarker research in this population, with a number of studies presenting findings on promising new markers - Neurofilament Light (NfL) appears to be one such promising marker that has emerged. Imaging studies have increased our knowledge on the progression of Alzheimer's disease in this population.

SUMMARY

The inclusion of people with Down syndrome in dementia research is vital from a scientific and an equity perspective. Recent advances in the field can have further impact with multisite, cross country collaborative efforts. For this to happen, instruments need to be validated across language and cultures.