A cross-sectional study on the quality of life of women with endometriosis in Trinidad and Tobago.

Introduction: Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological condition that lacks a definitive cure and adversely impacts the quality of life (QoL) of those affected. This study delves into the experiences of individuals with endometriosis in Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on their quality of life, pain severity, and acceptance of illness.

Methods: Surveys were distributed among 160 members of the Trinidad and Tobago Endometriosis Association.

Human reasoning on social interactions in ecological contexts: insights from the theory of mind brain circuits.

Introduction: The relationship between neural social cognition patterns and performance on social cognition tasks in daily life is a topic of debate, with key consideration given to the extent to which theory of mind (ToM) brain circuits share properties reflecting everyday social functioning. To test the efficacy of ecological stimuli in eliciting brain activation within the ToM brain circuits, we adapted the Edinburgh Social Cognition test social scenarios, consisting of dynamic ecological contextually embedded social stimuli, to a fMRI paradigm.

Methods: Forty-two adults (21 men, mean age ± SD = 34.

Diagnosis and pharmacological management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults with and without intellectual disability: cohort study using electronic health records.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly diagnosed in adults. People with intellectual disability have higher rates of ADHD yet there is little evidence on the presentation and pharmacological treatment of ADHD in this population or how this differs from the general population.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study using data from electronic health records.

Age of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in people with Down syndrome and associated factors: Results from the Horizon 21 European Down syndrome consortium.

Introduction: People with Down syndrome (DS) have high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examined mean ages of AD diagnosis and associations with co-occurring conditions among adults with DS from five European countries.

Methods: Data from 1335 people with DS from the Horizon 21 European DS Consortium were used for the analysis.

Toward the right treatment at the right time: Modeling the trajectory of cognitive decline to identify the earliest age of change in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). A limitation of randomized control trials in AD is a lack of specificity in the age ranges of participants who are enrolled in studies of disease-modifying therapies. We aimed to apply Emax (i.

The relationship between social cognitive processes and behavior changes in people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or dementia using the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT).

Objective: People with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or dementia often exhibit a decline in their social abilities, but few tests of social cognition exist that are suitable for clinical use. Moreover, the relationship between changes in behavior and impairments in social cognition is poorly understood. We examined the utility of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) in people with aMCI/dementia and explored associations between social cognition performance and behavior changes.

Common mental health disorders and cognitive decline in a longitudinal Down syndrome cohort.

Background: Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and Alzheimer's disease. In the general population, common mental disorders (CMDs), including anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, are linked to cognitive decline and higher risk for dementia. It is not known how CMDs affect longer-term cognitive outcomes in Down syndrome, and there is often diagnostic uncertainty in older people with Down syndrome and psychiatric comorbidity.

Identifying individuals with intellectual disability who access mental health support and are at high risk for adverse clinical outcomes: cohort study.

Background: People with intellectual disability often experience aggressive challenging behaviour and mental health issues. It can be difficult to identify those who are at higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes when in clinical care.

Aims: To characterise potential subgroups in adults with intellectual disability referred to mental health services in those presenting with aggressive behaviour or common mental disorders (CMDs).

Multiple morbidity across the lifespan in people with Down syndrome or intellectual disabilities: a population-based cohort study using electronic health records.

Background: The Down syndrome phenotype is well established, but our understanding of its morbidity patterns is limited. We comprehensively estimated the risk of multiple morbidity across the lifespan in people with Down syndrome compared with the general population and controls with other forms of intellectual disability.

Methods: In this matched population-based cohort-study design, we used electronic health-record data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CRPD) from Jan 1, 1990, to June 29, 2020.

Exploring semantic verbal fluency patterns and their relationship to age and Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome.

Introduction: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) are at ultra-high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by poor episodic memory and semantic fluency in the preclinical phase in the general population. We explored semantic fluency performance in DS and its relationship to age, AD, and blood biomarkers.

Methods: A total of 302 adults with DS at baseline and 87 at follow-up from the London Down Syndrome Consortium cohort completed neuropsychological assessments.

The knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine amongst Primary Health care workers in North-Central Trinidad.

Aim: To determine the effects of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of primary care health workers toward receiving the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in North Central, Trinidad.

Methods: A pretested questionnaire containing forty-eight (48) closed ended questions and one (1) open ended question was used to gather data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data obtained from the questionnaire.

Italian adaptation of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT): A new tool for the assessment of theory of mind and social norm understanding.

The relevance of social cognition assessment has been formally described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. However, social cognition tools evaluating different socio-cognitive components for Italian-speaking populations are lacking. The Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) is a new social cognition measure that uses animations of everyday social interactions to assess (i) cognitive theory of mind, (ii) affective theory of mind, (iii) interpersonal social norm understanding, and (iv) intrapersonal social norm understanding.

Aggressive challenging behavior in adults with intellectual disability: An electronic register-based cohort study of clinical outcome and service use.

Background: Aggressive challenging behavior in people with intellectual disability is a frequent reason for referral to secondary care services and is associated with direct harm, social exclusion, and criminal sanctions. Understanding the factors underlying aggressive challenging behavior and predictors of adverse clinical outcome is important in providing services and developing effective interventions.

Methods: This was a retrospective total-population cohort study using electronic records linked with Hospital Episode Statistics data.

An Investigation of the Validity of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) in Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

Objectives: Social cognition is frequently impaired following an acquired brain injury (ABI) but often overlooked in clinical assessments. There are few validated and appropriate measures of social cognitive abilities for ABI patients. The current study examined the validity of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT, Baksh et al.

Diabetes and Obesity in Down Syndrome Across the Lifespan: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using U.K. Electronic Health Records.

Objective: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common form of chromosomal trisomy. Genetic factors in DS may increase the risk for diabetes. This study aimed to determine whether DS is associated with an increased incidence of diabetes and the relationship with obesity across the life span compared with control patients.

Susceptibility to COVID-19 Diagnosis in People with Down Syndrome Compared to the General Population: Matched-Cohort Study Using Primary Care Electronic Records in the UK.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with Down syndrome (DS) have experienced a more severe disease course and higher mortality rates than the general population. It is not yet known whether people with DS are more susceptible to being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Objective: To explore whether DS is associated with increased susceptibility to COVID-19.

Understanding inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes following hospital admission for people with intellectual disability compared to the general population: a matched cohort study in the UK.

Objectives: This study explores the hospital journey of patients with intellectual disabilities (IDs) compared with the general population after admission for COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic (when demand on inpatient resources was high) to identify disparities in treatment and outcomes.

Design: Matched cohort study; an ID cohort of 506 patients were matched based on age, sex and ethnicity with a control group using a 1:3 ratio to compare outcomes from the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK.

Setting: Admissions for COVID-19 from UK hospitals; data on symptoms, severity, access to interventions, complications, mortality and length of stay were extracted.

Markers of early changes in cognition across cohorts of adults with Down syndrome at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS), a genetic variant of early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), lacks a suitable outcome measure for prevention trials targeting pre-dementia stages.

Methods: We used cognitive test data collected in several longitudinal aging studies internationally from 312 participants with DS without dementia to identify composites that were sensitive to change over time. We then conducted additional analyses to provide support for the utility of the composites.

The Association between Physical Activity and CAMDEX-DS Changes Prior to the Onset of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome.

Background: People with Down syndrome are at ultra-high risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia. At present, there are no preventative or curative treatments. Evidence from sporadic Alzheimer's disease literature suggests that lifestyle factors including physical activity may help maintain cognitive and functional skills and reduce dementia risk.

The association between anxiety disorders and hippocampal volume in older adults.

The hippocampus, through its mediation of fear responses is thought to play a central role in the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Prevalence of anxiety disorders remains high in older populations; however, little is known about their association with hippocampal changes in this age group. Due to differing levels of cortisol as adults age, age-related decreases in hippocampal volume, and the suggestion that age-related loss of neurogenesis results in anxiety disorders, this area requires investigation.

Medical vulnerability of individuals with Down syndrome to severe COVID-19-data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society and the UK ISARIC4C survey.

Background: Health conditions, immune dysfunction, and premature aging associated with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, DS) may impact the clinical course of COVID-19.

Methods: The T21RS COVID-19 Initiative launched an international survey for clinicians or caregivers on patients with COVID-19 and DS. Data collected between April and October 2020 (N=1046) were analysed and compared with the UK ISARIC4C survey of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with and without DS.

Optimal age and outcome measures for Alzheimer's disease prevention trials in people with Down syndrome.

Introduction: People with Down syndrome (DS) typically develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology before age 40, but a lack of outcome measures and longitudinal data have impeded their inclusion in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: Cohort study. Event-based and dose-response E models were fitted to longitudinal cognitive data, to stage AD and determine the earliest ages of decline.

An international survey on the impact of COVID-19 in individuals with Down syndrome.

Background: Health conditions and immune dysfunction associated with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome, DS) may impact the clinical course of COVID-19 once infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: The T21RS COVID-19 Initiative launched an international survey for clinicians or caregivers/family members on patients with COVID-19 and DS (N=1046). De-identified survey data collected between April and October 2020 were analysed and compared with the UK ISARIC4C survey of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with and without DS.

Differential Associations of Apolipoprotein E ε4 Genotype With Attentional Abilities Across the Life Span of Individuals With Down Syndrome.

Importance: Risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) is particularly high for individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE ε4) is associated with an additional risk for AD. In typical development, there is evidence that the APOE ε4 genotype is associated with an early cognitive advantage.