Summary with the article: Down syndrome: cognitive and behavioral functioning across the lifespan - Grieco, Pulsifer, Seligsohn, Skotko, Schwartz (2015).

About the cognitive and behavioral effect over the entire life span of Down's syndrome

What do the writers mean by the profiles of people with Down's syndrome (DS)?

In general, people with Downsydrome have unique neurocognitive and neuro-behavioral profiles. These appear within specific development periods. It is striking that these profiles differ from other people with a similar intellectual disability. In addition, they reflect underlying neuroanatomical findings. They offer support for a distinctive phenotypic profile. In this article, the writers elaborate on the cognitive and behavioral phenotypes associated with Down's syndrome over the lifetime.

What are the characteristics of people with Down's syndrome?

People with DS have many unique strengths and weaknesses, just like people without DS, who have to be valued separately during their lifetime. In comparison with verbal skills, children can often learn non-invariably and their memory is of high quality. Compared to comprehension, the expressive is delayed. Language skills also continue to be affected in adulthood. Personality assets include a cheerful and social character. In comparison with other children, children with DS have a lesser chance of psychopathology. In families the stress level appears lower and optimism higher. Behavioral problems can be problematic during childhood, but shift to internalizing behavior when children are adults. Adults with DS have a greater risk of dementia.

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is the genetic manifestation of trisomy of chromosome 21. Neuropathological changes in both neuronal proliferation and differentiation are associated with Down syndrome. The syndrome was identified in 1866 by John Langdon Down. Changes can be observed in both cognitive and behavioral functioning during the entire life of someone with DS. Every year around 200,000 children with DS are born worldwide. Genetic karyotypes and postnatal confirmation determine Down's syndrome in a child.

What does Down syndrome mean for cognitive functions?

DS has for someone different phases with (the development) from its cognitive functions. In this way his general intelligence lags behind. The cognitive going can change during the lifetime. In addition, it is moderated by multiple comorbid factors. Think of sensory disorders, seizures, autism, sleep disorders and other medical and psychiatric disorders. Growth of cognitive functions during childhood, adolescence and into old adulthood. At a certain point, a loss of skills. This loss is associated with a process of dementia.

Other cognitive functions are also lagging behind with children without DS. Think availability to the development of the language or the lowest level of sharing, has a limited work memory and long-term memory, overall planning and organizational, weakness with regard to multitasking and poor control of verbal comprehension.

What does Down syndrome mean for social, emotional and behavioral functions?

People with DS are often seen with personality assets that are about kindness, humor and forgiveness. More often than children without specific intellectual disabilities, children with DS seek social interaction and exhibit more positive facial expressions. In addition, they have a lower risk of psychopathology and they reduce the stress level within their family.

What are the unique characteristics of people with DS?

Individuals with DS include the following unique characteristics: dementia, sensory impairment, seizures, sleep disorders, disorders in the autism spectrum and other medical factors such as celiac disease, hypothyroidism, leukemia, congenital heart disease and diabetes.

What conclusions do the writers draw at the end of this article?

The appreciation of the unique cognitive and behavioral phenomena can help both professionals and parents to better understand people with Down's syndrome. In addition, this research can help to develop treatments and instruction methods. If strengths and weaknesses are better developed, it can be helpful for professionals and families dealing with a family member with DS. The goal here can be to let the person with DS function as well as possible independently and to optimize the quality of his or her life.