Our Mission

Alzheimer’s disease impacts close to 90% of people with Down syndrome, with the average age of diagnosis around 50 years of age. The University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center launched the Brain Health in Down Syndrome Program to drive efforts to prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome.

The Link Between Alzheimer's and Down syndrome

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, which carries a gene that produces a specific protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP). Too much APP protein leads to a buildup of protein clumps called beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. The presence of beta-amyloid plaques is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. By age 40, most people with Down syndrome have these plaques, along with other protein deposits, called tau tangles, which cause problems with how brain cells function and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s symptoms.

The KU ADRC is working hard to understand why some people with Down syndrome develop memory changes related to Alzheimer’s while others do not. We also want to explore what drugs or other treatments, like what we eat and how much we move, work to delay or even prevent the disease process.

Community Health Improvement Program for Intellectual Disabilities (CHIP-ID)

The Community Health Improvement Program for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (CHIP-ID) is a partnership between the KU Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the KU Division of Physical activity and Weight Management with the shared goal of health promotion and wellness for people with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. We offer inclusive research studies and wellness programs focused on physical activity, healthy eating, weight management, and brain health. Through community partnerships and accessible resources, we help individuals and families build healthy habits and support lifelong well-being

Click here to learn more about CHIP-ID