9 in 10 adults with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s. UNT Health research is exploring why

June 14, 2026 - 22:50

A striking statistic drives a new wave of research at UNT Health: nine out of ten adults with Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer's disease. Scientists are now working to understand why this connection is so strong, with the goal of creating better treatments for a population that has often been overlooked in dementia research.

The link lies in biology. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21. This chromosome carries the gene that produces amyloid precursor protein, a key player in the formation of the sticky plaques in the brain that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's. Because they have three copies of this gene instead of two, their bodies produce more of the protein from birth, dramatically increasing the risk of developing the disease as they age.

Researchers at UNT Health are not just looking at the genetic cause. They are studying how the disease progresses differently in people with Down syndrome. Symptoms often appear earlier, sometimes in a person's 40s or 50s, and can be harder to diagnose because the early signs of cognitive decline may be mistaken for the person's existing intellectual disability.

The team is focusing on identifying biomarkers that could predict the onset of Alzheimer's years before memory loss becomes obvious. By tracking changes in blood, spinal fluid, and brain scans over time, they hope to find a window for intervention. The ultimate aim is to develop treatments that could delay or prevent the disease entirely, giving people with Down syndrome and their families more healthy years together. The work is still in early stages, but for a community facing such a high risk, every discovery brings new hope.