Associations between medical history, cognition, and behavior in youth with down syndrome: A report from the down syndrome cognition project

• Main Authors: Allen, E.G (Author), Anand, P. (Author), Armour, A.C (Author), Capone, G.T (Author), Channell, M.M (Author), Dooley, K.J (Author), Edgin, J.O (Author), Feingold, E. (Author), Frank-Crawford, M.A (Author), Hamilton, D.R (Author), Maslen, C.L (Author), Pierpont, E.I (Author), Reeves, R.H (Author), Rosser, T.C (Author), Sherman, S.L (Author), Strang, J.F (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Association on Mental Retardation 2018
• Subjects: adolescent; Adolescent; adult; Adult; behavior; Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Birth defect; child; Child; Cognition; cognitive defect; Cognitive Dysfunction; Congenital heart defect; congenital heart malformation; Digestive System Abnormalities; digestive system malformation; Down syndrome; Down Syndrome; female; Female; Gastrointestinal defect; Heart Defects, Congenital; human; Humans; Intellectual disability; male; Male; Neuropsychological assessment; Trisomy 21; young adult; Young Adult
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 The cause of the high degree of variability in cognition and behavior among individuals with Down syndrome (DS) is unknown. We hypothesized that birth defects requiring surgery in the first years of life (congenital heart defects and gastrointestinal defects) might affect an individual's level of function. We used data from the first 234 individuals, age 6-25 years, enrolled in the Down Syndrome Cognition Project (DSCP) to test this hypothesis. Data were drawn from medical records, parent interviews, and a cognitive and behavior assessment battery. Results did not support our hypothesis. That is, we found no evidence that either birth defect was associated with poorer outcomes, adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Implications for study design and measurement are discussed. © AAIDD.