Down syndrome (DS) is the most common example of a neurogenetic aneuploid disorder leading to mental retardation. In most cases, DSresults from an extra copy of human chromosome 21 producing deregulated gene expression in brain that gives raise to subnormal intellectual functioning. Understanding the consequences of dosage imbalance attributable to trisomy 21 (T21) has accelerated because of recent advances in genome sequencing, comparative genome analysis, functional genome exploration, and the use of model organisms. This has led to new evidence-based therapeutic approaches to prevention or amelioration of T21 effects on brain structure and function (cognition) and has important implications for other areas of research on the neurogenomics of cognition and behavior.
IntroductionTrisomy for human chromosome 21 (Hsa21) is the most frequent live-born aneuploidy and results in Down syndrome (DS). This is a well recognized syndrome with variable phenotypic expression. DS results in cognitive impairment, dysmorphic features, and a number of mostly nonspecific manifestations for which severity and frequency are highly variable among different individuals.In DS, deficits in learning, memory, and language lead to a general cognitive impairment, which is typically in the mild-tomoderate range. Morpho-syntax, verbal short-term memory, and explicit long-term memory are usually more impaired, whereas visual-spatial short-term memory, associative learning, and implicit long-term memory are better preserved (for review,