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Brain volumes, cognitive, and adaptive skills in school-age children with Down syndrome

Rebecca Grzadzinski1,2, Kattia Mata3, Ambika S Bhatt3

  • 1Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101, Renee Lynne Court, Carrboro, NC, 27510, USA. Rebecca_grzadzinski@med.unc.edu.

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
|December 20, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Children with Down syndrome (DS) show lower cognitive skills and smaller brain volumes compared to typically developing children. However, their adaptive daily living skills are similar to those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Down syndrome (DS) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1 in 700 births.
  • Limited research exists on the neurobiology of DS and its behavioral correlates.
  • This study investigates cortical volumes and behavioral links in school-aged children with DS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine neurobiological differences in children with Down syndrome.
  • To correlate brain structure with behavioral outcomes in DS.
  • To compare neurobiology and behavior in DS, ASD, and typically developing (TD) children.

Main Methods:

  • MRI scans were performed on school-aged children (mean age 9.7 years) without sedation.
  • Cognitive and adaptive assessments were conducted.
  • Groups included children with DS (n=35), ASD (n=29), and TD (n=80).

Main Results:

  • Children with DS had lower cognitive skills than ASD and TD groups.
  • Daily living skills were comparable between DS and ASD groups, both lower than TD.
  • DS children showed smaller total cerebral volume (TCV), gray matter (GM), and white matter (WM) volumes, even after controlling for TCV, age, and sex.

Conclusions:

  • DS children have comparable adaptive skill deficits to ASD children, despite lower cognitive skills and smaller brain volumes.
  • Specific lobar volume differences (e.g., frontal and temporal) were noted in DS beyond overall brain size.
  • Cerebellar volume correlated with daily living behaviors in DS, suggesting a new research avenue.
Abstract

Keywords:
AdaptiveAutism spectrum disorderBrain volumesCognitiveCortical volumesDown syndromeIntellectual disabilityMRINeurobehavioral/behavioral profilesNeurodevelopmental disorderNeuroimagingSchool-age children

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