Brain scan identifies patterns of plaques and tangles in adults with Down syndrome

Researchers have outlined the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. For instance, all persons with Down syndrome show signs of the brain pathology of Alzheimer’s disease by the age of 40. Persons with Down syndrome are 3-5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, with earlier age of onset.  A recently published study from UCLA describes the development of a chemical marker called FDDNP that binds to both plaque and tangle deposits, allowing neuroimaging that provides a tool to track pathologies in Down syndrome related to Alzheimer’s disease.