[Dementia in Down syndrome]

Abstract

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have increased prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at an earlier age than the general population. Diagnostic tools that can improve diagnosis and treatment of dementia in DS and differentiate between dementia and intellectual disabilities include cognitive batteries, sensitive plasma assays, and PET imaging for amyloid and tau. Adults with DS should be included in memory clinic assessments and offered appropriate medications available to the general population with dementia. The Swedish dementia registry, SveDem, has added the diagnosis AD due to the genetic overload in DS, providing a national diagnostic registry for those with DS.