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Premature aging in persons with Down syndrome: MR findings
G M Roth1, B Sun, F S Greensite
1Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, Orange 92668, USA.
Purpose:
To determine whether persons with Down syndrome have features of premature aging on routine MR imaging sequences.
Methods:
Sixty MR studies (in 30 persons with Down syndrome and 30 age- and sex-matched control subjects) were reviewed retrospectively by two blinded examiners. Sagittal T1-weighted and axial T2-weighted spin-echo images were evaluated for the presence and severity of three markers of brain aging: atrophy, white matter lesions, and T2 hypointensity of the basal ganglia, referenced to the examiner's internal standard of normal for that age and sex.
Results:
Persons with Down syndrome had higher prevalence and severity of the three markers studied than the control subjects. Atrophy and white matter lesions increased in prevalence with age; abnormal T2 hypointensity of the basal ganglia was more equally distributed with age.
Conclusion:
Persons with Down syndrome have features of premature aging detectable at routine MR imaging.
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