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. 2020 Sep 13;12(1):e12096.
doi: 10.1002/dad2.12096. eCollection 2020.

Cognitive indicators of transition to preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome

Sigan L Hartley  1   2 , Benjamin L Handen  3 , Darlynne Devenny  4 , Dana Tudorascu  3 , Brianna Piro-Gambetti  1   2 , Matthew D Zammit  1   5 , Charles M Laymon  3 , William E Klunk  3 , Shahid Zaman  6 , Annie Cohen  3 , Bradley T Christian  1   5
Affiliations

Cognitive indicators of transition to preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome

Sigan L Hartley et al. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). .

Abstract

Introduction: There is a critical need to identify measures of cognitive functioning sensitive to early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology in Down syndrome to advance clinical trial research in this at-risk population. The objective of the study was to longitudinally track performance on cognitive measures in relation to neocortical and striatal amyloid beta (Aβ) in non-demented Down syndrome.

Methods: The study included 118 non-demented adults with Down syndrome who participated in two to five points of data collection, spanning 1.5 to 8 years. Episodic memory, visual attention and executive functioning, and motor planning and coordination were assessed. Aβ was measured via [C-11] Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) PET.

Results: PiB was associated with level and rate of decline in cognitive performance in episodic memory, visual attention, executive functioning, and visuospatial ability in models controlling for chronological age.

Discussion: The Cued Recall Test emerged as a promising indicator of transition from preclinical to prodromal AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Down syndrome; amyloid; memory; preclinical.

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Conflict of interest statement

GE Healthcare holds a license agreement with the University of Pittsburgh based on the technology described in this manuscript. William Klunk is a co‐inventor of PiB and, as such, has a financial interest in this license agreement. GE Healthcare provided no grant support for this study and had no role in the design or interpretation of results or preparation of this manuscript. All other authors had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Free and Cued Recall Total score across time for adults with Down syndrome who were consistently Pittsburgh compound B negative (PiB−) versus those who converted PiB− to positive (+) or were consistently PiB+
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Intrusions to Cued Recall across time for adults with Down syndrome who were consistently Pittsburgh compound B negative (PiB−) versus those who converted PiB−to positive (+) or were consistently PiB+
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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