WUSL Receives $11 Million NIH Grant Focusing on Cognitive Function in Down Syndrome-Associated Alzheimer’s

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis  have received an $11 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop tools to measure cognitive function in people with Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer's disease. The study lays groundwork for Alzheimer&rsquo;s clinical trials involving people with intellectual disabilities.
Almost every person with Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, yet this population is routinely excluded from Alzheimer's clinical trials, as the cognitive assessment tools designed for the general population often are inappropriate for people with developmental disabilities. As a result, it is unknown if the new Alzheimer's therapeutics hitting the market will be effective for people with Down syndrome. This puts people with the syndrome at risk of missing out on potentially life-changing therapies.