Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have begun a study to see if it is possible to protect ageing adults with Down syndrome from dementia through cognitive training.
The research comes amid growing concern at levels of dementia among adults with Down syndrome as they grow older.
Figures released recently by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing show that between 2010 and 2013, the prevalence of dementia among people with Down syndrome who are part of the study had almost doubled from 15.8% to 29.9%.
Adults with Down syndrome also often experience earlier onset of dementia than those in the general population, with previous studies by TCD showing that those with the syndrome develop dementia at age 55 on average, compared to 65 in the general population.
Studies in the wider population have found evidence that brain training through the use of cognitive stimulation games can help protect people as they age.
The Brain Exercises for Adults with Down Syndrome, or BEADS, study will examine whether it is feasible to use existing brain training games with at risk adults with Down syndrome, and what effect they can have.
The research is being carried out with the University at Albany, New York and the University of Cambridge and is supported by Down syndrome Ireland.