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.

Aims: To study the influence of CMDs on cognitive ability and whether they are related longitudinally to development of clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome.

Method: We followed 115 individuals with Down syndrome, 27 of whom were diagnosed with a CMD, over approximately 3 years. Changes in cognitive and behavioural outcomes between baseline and follow-up assessment were analysed, with comparisons made between those with and without a comorbid CMD. Age, gender, apolipoprotein E status and level of intellectual disability were included as covariates.

Results: No significant association between presence of a CMD and poorer performance on cognitive tasks or informant-rated decline over time was observed ( > 0.05).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that a diagnosis of a CMD does not have a significant negative effect on long-term cognitive or behavioural outcomes in individuals with Down syndrome. In individuals with stable or treated CMD, subsequent cognitive decline is likely indicative of Alzheimer's disease rather than a consequence of mental disorder.