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New therapies for treating Down syndrome require quality of life measurement
Author(s) -
Goodman Michael J.,
Brixner Diana I.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of medical genetics part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.064
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1552-4833
pISSN - 1552-4825
DOI - 10.1002/ajmg.a.35705
Subject(s) - quality of life (healthcare) , cognition , disease , medicine , quality (philosophy) , psychology , intensive care medicine , psychotherapist , psychiatry , pathology , philosophy , epistemology
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of cognitive deficits. Using mouse models and therapies for Alzheimer disease, researchers are exploring therapies that may improve cognitive function in people with DS. These developments shift the health economic paradigm of understanding DS from determining the appropriate screening tool to the effect of therapy on quality of life in those with DS. To date, there are no validated quality of life instruments for DS. Research should begin to develop instruments that can evaluate changes in quality of life in therapeutic trials and beyond. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.