Cognitive functions in adult Down's syndrome.
Cognitive profiles of performances were obtained from a selected group of adult Down syndrome (DS) subjects (n = 20; mean age: 34.5 years; s.d.: 7.7) by means of an ad hoc neuropsychological battery. With the aim of examining, from a neuropsychological point of view, the modifications that increasing age produces in this group of patients, cognitive performances of younger DS subjects (mean age: 28 years; s.d.: 4.77) were compared with analogous performances obtained by the older ones (mean age: 39.8 years; s.d.: 5.11). Subsequently, to clarify qualitative aspects of cognitive patterns in the subgroups of young and old DS subjects, two different groups of control patients were utilised. Neuropsychological data collected from a group of adult mentally retarded subjects were compared with cognitive performances demonstrated by young DS subjects, while the old group of DS subjects was analyzed in comparison with a group of patients affected by initial form of Alzheimer disease (AD). Altogether, the results of our study do not seem to support, from a neuropsychological point of view, the hypothesis that mental decline observed in DS subjects reproduces the cognitive patterns of impairment observed in AD patients.
Caltagirone
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Servizio di Neurologia e Riabilitazione, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesú, S. Marinella, Roma, Italy.
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Vicari
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D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014706:Verbal Learning