Factors impacting survival in individuals with Down syndrome‐associated Alzheimer's disease
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) are at high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of death in this population. Survival in DS after AD diagnosis appears shorter than in sporadic AD; however, the factors influencing survival remain poorly understood. METHODS: We analyzed 157 adults with DS from Spain and Ireland who died of AD between 2012 and 2024. Clinical, genetic, and care predictors were examined using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. RESULTS: Mean survival after AD diagnosis was 4.8 years (SD 3.5). Those in specialist intellectual disability dementia care had a longer survival time (mean 9.5 years) than other settings (mean 3.4 to 4.1 years; p < 0.001). Late-onset myoclonic epilepsy in DS (LOMEDS) was linked to a threefold higher risk of death after onset (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Specialist care settings and LOMEDS timing significantly shape survival in DS-associated AD, highlighting the importance of tailored services and proactive epilepsy treatment.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71156
Authors: Bessy Benejam, Mary McCarron, María Carmona‐Iragui, Pamela Dunne, Lucia Maure‐Blesa, Miren Altuna, Javier Arranz, Isabel Barroeta, Alexandre Bejanin, Laura Del Hoyo Soriano, Susana Fernández, Sandra Giménez, Alberto Lleó, Louise Lynch, Philip McCallion, Niamh Mulryan, Lucia Pertierra, Anne‐Sophie Rebillat, Íñigo Rodríguez‐Baz, Aida Sanjuan Hernández, Lídia Vaqué‐Alcázar, Laura Videla, Andrew Wormald, Juan Fortea, Eimear McGlinchey
Institutions: Hospital de Sant Pau, Institut de Recerca Sant Pau, Trinity College Dublin, Gaelic Athletic Association, Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital Txagorritxu, Hospital Universitario Araba, Fundacion CITA Alzheimer, Temple University, Fondation Jérôme-Lejeune, Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
Funders: Alzheimer's Association, Fondation Jérôme Lejeune, Health Research Board, Global Brain Health Institute, European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, National Institutes of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, National Institute on Aging
Awards: Alpha-Synuclein Seed Amplification Assay: Validation and Kinetics Analysis, G131695710, DS-ARC: A Remote Digital Cognitive Assessment for Down Syndrome-Associated Alzheimer's Disease, G1783860944, G210922279, The Role of Inflammation and NGF Dysfunction in the Evolution of AlzheimerDisease Pathology in Down syndrome, G367498634, G4484208813, G4671913057, G5401000227, G5428408597, G56143381, G5681354352, G6555716666, G7786571660, G886509187, G9000024916, G9000046369, G9000159375, G9000212820, G968800864
OpenAlex ID: W7129610082