Additional evidence that cortical thickness relates to later dementia symptoms in non-demented adults with Down syndrome

Motivation: The early onset and high incidence of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome highlights a critical need for development of biomarkers related to risk/progression. Goal(s): Developmental differences in DS, such as regional increases in cortical thickness (CT), may complicate the association of cortical atrophy and dementia symptoms. Approach: . In seventeen non-demented, middle-aged adults with DS, we find that thicker cortex is related to more dementia symptoms measured at six month follow-up. Results: This result confirms our previous work and suggests that the magnitude of early DS-related neuroanatomical differences may relate to aspects of dementia onset. Impact: This work shows that early-occuring neuroanatomical differences in Down syndrome (DS) are related to dementia symptoms, suggesting the mechanisms behind these differences are worth considering in the drive to develop biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in DS.