Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
05:20
Assessing the Age-Specific Phagocytic Ability of Adult Drosophila melanogaster Hemocytes using an In Vivo Phagocytosis Assay
Published on: June 11, 2020
7.3K
Spatial abilities in aging adults with Down syndrome.
Yingying Yang1, Romal Bhullar1, Sonia Conde1
1Department of Psychology, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer'S Association
|February 14, 2026
Summary
Spatial skills like visuomotor integration decline with age in people with Down syndrome (DS). While these abilities can help distinguish cognitive stability from Alzheimer's disease (AD) in DS, they are less effective for diagnosing milder cognitive changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Genetics
Background:
- Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit an elevated risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Spatial cognitive deficits may signal early-stage AD in people with DS.
- This study investigates age-related changes in spatial abilities within the DS population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine age effects on visuospatial construction and visuomotor integration in Down syndrome (DS).
- To determine if spatial tasks can differentiate varying degrees of cognitive decline in DS, including Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Alzheimer's Biomarkers Consortium-Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) project dataset.
- Analyzed cognitive measures from 376 DS participants.
- Assessed visuospatial construction and visuomotor integration performance.
Main Results:
- Visuomotor integration showed age-related decline in DS, unlike visuospatial construction.
- Both spatial abilities declined with Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression.
- Visuospatial construction demonstrated superior discrimination between cognitively stable (CS) and AD states compared to visuomotor integration.
Conclusions:
- Visuomotor integration is more susceptible to aging effects than visuospatial construction in individuals with Down syndrome (DS).
- Neither spatial ability alone may be sufficient for diagnosing cognitive decline in DS.
- The Block Design task showed significant potential in differentiating cognitive stability from AD in DS.
Keywords:
Down syndromeagingblock designdementiamild cognitive impairmentspatial abilitiesspatial memoryvisuomotor integrationMore Related Videos
06:58Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
7.9K
10:28Kinematics and Ground Reaction Force Determination: A Demonstration Quantifying Locomotor Abilities of Young Adult, Middle-aged, and Geriatric Rats
Published on: February 22, 2011
20.2K
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
848
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
848
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
3.7K
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
3.7K
01:24Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction
702
Nephrotic Syndrome is a chronic kidney disorder defined by clinical findings such as severe proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, and edema. These symptoms result from damage to the glomeruli, the kidney’s filtering units, increasing their permeability to proteins.Definition and Meaning:Proteinuria, defined as the loss of more than 3.5 grams of protein per day in adults, is a crucial feature of nephrotic syndrome. This condition is often accompanied by edema, the accumulation of...
702
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
3.7K
The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.7K
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome I: Introduction
1.1K
Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) encompasses a spectrum of heart conditions caused by sudden obstruction of coronary arteries, typically resulting from the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque and subsequent thrombus (blood clot) formation. This obstruction can lead to partial or complete blockage of blood flow, causing varying degrees of myocardial ischemia or infarction.ACS includes the following clinical entities:Unstable Angina (UA)Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI)ST-Elevation...
1.1K
01:33Adult Stem Cells
33.9K
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously...
33.9K