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Alzheimer's Disease in Down's Syndrome: A Review
Author(s) -
Karlinsky Harry
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1986.tb04304.x
Subject(s) - medicine , disease , down syndrome , alzheimer's disease , etiology , autopsy , degenerative disease , population , psychiatry , pediatrics , pathology , environmental health
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive dementing illness accompanied by characteristic neuropathologic changes. Although its etiology is unknown, its risk of occurrence increases with age and in relatives of affected individuals. An additional risk factor is the presence of Down's syndrome. Almost all individuals with Down's syndrome over the age of 40 have the characteristic neuropathologic changes of Alzheimer's disease at autopsy. Although clinical evidence for Alzheimer's disease in Down's syndrome is less consistent, the association between Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome may contribute to an understanding of Alzheimer's disease in the general population. This article summarizes the neuropathologic and clinical observations of Alzheimer's disease in Down's syndrome and reviews the hypotheses that attempt to account for this association.