Down syndrome
Approximately 50% of the Down syndrome population will develop Alzheimer’s in their later years. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the buildup of amyloid precursor protein and subsequent beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Although most individuals with Down syndrome have these plaques by age 40, not all people with Down syndrome develop disease. Therefore, the Down syndrome population offers a unique quality to researchers to investigate why some individuals with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s and others do not.