Ageing in adults with Down's syndrome in institutionally based and community-based residences.

Seventy-one subjects with Down's syndrome (DS), between the ages of 29 and 68 years, and 46 matched controls (without DS) were examined for intelligence, memory (short- and long-term memory, and spatial and temporal orientation), communication (receptive, expressive and written language) and daily living skills (personal, domestic and community daily living skills). All subjects were screened on hearing and visual functions, thyroid functions, depression and dementia. DS-subjects and controls were matched on chronological age, mental age, living conditions and male/female ratio.

Evaluation of a screening instrument for dementia in ageing mentally retarded persons.

The value of a standardized hetero-anamnestic questionnaire, the Dementia Questionnaire for Mentally Retarded Persons (DMR), as a screening instrument for diagnosis of early dementia, has been evaluated during a longitudinal follow-up of 139 institutionalized ageing mentally retarded subjects. By means of decision analysis, provisional criteria have been derived for a diagnosis, based on absolute DMR scores and on scorechanges through time. For different intellectual levels, separate criteria are required for interpretation of absolute scores, but longitudinal scorechanges might be independent of the intellectual level.

Hearing loss in middle-age persons with Down syndrome.

Hearing function of 35 institutionalized persons with Down syndrome, age 35 to 62 years, was assessed by means of otoscopy, impedance audiometry, brainstem evoked response audiometry, and pure tone audiometry. Using brainstem evoked response audiometry, we determined response thresholds for 59 ears, which compares favorably with pure tone audiometry (20 ears). We found hearing losses of 20 dB to over 90 dB in 56 of these ears.

Unknown syndrome: mental retardation with dysmorphic features, early balding, patella luxations, acromicria, and hypogonadism.

A patient is described with severe mental retardation, a peculiar face with small palpebral fissures and premature balding, habitual patella luxations, small hands and feet, and hypogonadism, a combination which appears to represent a new syndrome.