Background:The accuracy of the National Task Group-Early Detection Screen for Dementia (NTG-EDSD) was evaluated in a sample of 185 adults with Down syndrome (DS), emphasizing 'mild cognitive impairment (MCI-DS)'.Method: Knowledgeable informants were interviewed with the NTG-EDSD, and findings were compared to an independent dementia status rating based on consensus review of detailed assessments of cognition, functional abilities and health status (including physician examination).Results: Results indicated that sections of the NTG-EDSD were sensitive to MCI-DS, with one or more concerns within the 'Memory' or 'Language and Communication' domains being most informative. Conclusions:The NTG-EDSD is a useful tool for evaluating dementia status, including MCI-DS. However, estimates of sensitivity and specificity, even for detecting frank dementia, indicated that NTG-EDSD findings need to be supplemented by additional sources of relevant information to achieve an acceptable level of diagnostic/screening accuracy.

Introduction Down syndrome (DS) is associated with a higher risk of dementia. We hypothesize that amyloid beta (Aβ) in specific brain regions differentiates mild cognitive impairment in DS (MCI‐DS) and test these hypotheses using cross‐sectional and longitudinal data. Methods 18F‐AV‐45 (florbetapir) positron emission tomography (PET) data were collected to analyze amyloid burden in 58 participants clinically classified as cognitively stable (CS) or MCI‐DS and 12 longitudinal CS participants. Results The study confirmed our hypotheses of increased amyloid in inferior parietal, lateral occipital, and superior frontal regions as the main effects differentiating MCI‐DS from the CS groups. The largest annualized amyloid increases in longitudinal CS data were in the rostral middle frontal, superior frontal, superior/middle temporal, and posterior cingulate cortices. Discussion This study helps us to understand amyloid in the MCI‐DS transitional state between cognitively stable aging and frank dementia in DS. The spatial distribution of Aβ may be a reliable indicator of MCI‐DS in DS.

Non-adherence to AEDs is a potential medical risk for individuals with ID that is significantly impacted by the type of community living arrangement.

Introduction Virtually all adults with Down syndrome (DS) develop Alzheimer's disease (AD)‐associated neuropathology by the age of 40, with risk for dementia increasing from the early 50s. White matter (WM) pathology has been reported in sporadic AD, including early demyelination, microglial activation, loss of oligodendrocytes and reactive astrocytes but has not been extensively studied in the at‐risk DS population. Methods Fifty‐six adults with DS (35 cognitively stable adults, 11 with mild cognitive impairment, 10 with dementia) underwent diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), amyloid imaging, and had assessments of cognition and functional abilities using tasks appropriate for persons with intellectual disability. Results Early changes in late‐myelinating and relative sparing of early‐myelinating pathways, consistent with the retrogenesis model proposed for sporadic AD, were associated with AD‐related cognitive deficits and with regional amyloid deposition. Discussion Our findings suggest that quantification of WM changes in DS could provide a promising and clinically relevant biomarker for AD clinical onset and progression.

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