Specialists' perceptions of clinical instruments, practices, and staging of DS-AD: Results from an international survey

Diagnosing and staging Down syndrome–associated Alzheimer’s disease (DS-AD) is hindered by the lack of standardized criteria, complicating clinical decision making, trial participation, and access to advanced therapies. This study aimed to explore perceptions of these issues. An international survey of 42 clinicians and researchers specializing in DS-AD gathered perspectives on instruments, symptomatic staging, clinical practices, and research priorities. Respondents noted that key domains of impairment in mild cognitive impairment in Down syndrome and DS-AD dementia included memory, executive functioning, personality, social behavior, attention, mood, and language. Among the 10 assessment tools evaluated, informant-based interviews were noted as critical for individuals with severe intellectual disability (ID), while direct assessments were noted as useful for those with mild to moderate ID. Common diagnostic confounders like hypothyroidism and sleep disorders were identified. Behavioral assessments provide a valuable function; however, future efforts should integrate behavioral assessments with biomarkers and develop standardized staging frameworks to improve diagnostic reliability, care planning, and treatment strategies for DS-AD.

Source: Hillerstrom et al. (2025). Specialists’ perceptions of clinical instruments, practices, and staging of DS-AD: Results from an international survey. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21:e70356. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70356