Multi-Modal Imaging in Down's Syndrome: Maximizing Utility Through Innovative Neuroimaging Approaches

Abstract

In recent decades, the field of neuroimaging has experienced a surge of popularity and innovation which has led to significant advancements in the understanding of neurological disease, if not immediate clinical translation. In the case of Down's syndrome, a complex interplay of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes occur as a result of the trisomy of chromosome 21. The substantial potential impact of improved clinical intervention and the limited research under-taken to date make it a prime candidate for longitudinal neuroimaging-based study. However, as with a multitude of other multifaceted brain-based disorders, singular utilization of lone modality imaging has limited interpretability and applicability. Indeed, a present challenge facing the neuroimaging community as a whole is the methodological integration of multi-modal imaging to enhance clinical understanding. This review therefore aims to assess the current literature in Down's syndrome utilizing a multi-modal approach with regards to improvement upon consideration of a single modality. Additionally, we discuss potential avenues of future research that may effectively combine structural, functional and molecular-based imaging techniques for the significant benefit of the understanding of Down's syndrome pathology.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Down's syndrome (DS); MRI; PET; multi-modal; neuroimaging.

Figure 1

Theoretic example of how connectomic approaches may be integrated with PET-based neuropathology data. Diffusion-based white matter connectivity can be statistically modeled with PET ligand binding using matrix methodology.