Lifestyle Composite and Resilience to Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Down Syndrome

Background People with Down syndrome (DS) have a high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Identifying resiliency factors for AD is of critical importance to the DS community. Method Participants were 63 adults with DS. Measures included amyloid‐beta PET scans (amyloid age), National Task Group‐Early Detection Screen for Dementia (NTG‐EDSD), and Down Syndrome Mental Status Examination (DSMSE). Lifestyle composites were created by assessing time spent in leisure, employment, and physical activity across 7 days through informant reports and accelerometry. Results There was a significant moderation effect of the lifestyle composite on the association between amyloid age and the NTG‐EDSD and DSMSE. Participants with a higher lifestyle composite (higher leisure, employment engagement, and physical activity) had fewer dementia symptoms than those with a lower lifestyle composite score of a similar amyloid age. Conclusions Modifiable lifestyle factors may allow adults with DS to maintain cognitive functioning for longer in the face of AD pathology.