Normalization of dyrk1A and APP Function as an Approach to Improve Cognitive Performance and Decelerate...
Down Syndrome (DS)Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major catechin in green tea, is postulated to modulate dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) and amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) gene overexpression in the brains of Down syndrome mouse models. The clinical study is aimed at demonstrating that normalization of Dyrk1A and APP functions is a therapeutic approach to improve cognitive performance and decelerate AD (Alzheimer's disease) like progression.
Weight Management for Adolescents With IDD
Developmental DisabilitiesWeight Loss4 moreThe goal of this study is to explore the impact of two different diets (conventional vs. enhanced stop light) and two different delivery systems (face-to-face vs. remote) on weight across 18 months in overweight and obese adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Effect of Arm Ergometry on Children With Down Syndrome
EFFECT OF ARM ERGOMETRY ON RESPIRATIONCardiopulmonary issues are the major cause of sickness and hospitalisation in children with Down syndrome . Down syndrome children are also more likely to develop chronic lung infections, middle ear infections, and persistent tonsillitis.
The Effect of Bifocals in Children With Down Syndrome
Visual Acuity at NearAccuracy of Accommodation2 moreVisual acuity at near improves in children with Down syndrome using bifocals
Efficacy Study of Folinic Acid to Improve Mental Development of Children With Down Syndrome
Down SyndromeThe purpose of this study is to determine whether folinic acid can improve developmental quotient of young Down syndrome patients, given that these present signs of folate deficiency which are known to cause reversible neurological, psychiatric and cognitive disorders.
Storybook Reading in Individuals With Down Syndrome
Down SyndromeAugmentative and Alternative CommunicationThis study uses mobile eye-tracking technology in order to characterize patterns of visual attention to communication supports, as well as a partner, within real world interactions for individuals with Down syndrome. Visual communication supports are central components of what is termed augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention. AAC refers to the methods and technology designed to supplement spoken communication for people with limited speech. "Aided" AAC is a subcategory in which an external aid stores and presents for use visual symbols such as photographs, line drawings, or alphabet letters. The most traditional means of structuring aided AAC displays is to present the language concepts within row-column grids, which contain individual symbols/concepts placed in each grid square. The investigator's previous work investigated whether these grid-based presentations could be improved by understanding how different perceptual features of the displays influence responding (i.e., whether what the display looks like influences how easily the information on it is found). Individuals with developmental disabilities and children developing typically were faster and more accurate in finding information on some displays over others, when tested using a "visual search" task (aka, a "finding game" - "find the dog"). The previous investigations have evaluated visual attention within a setting that isolated visual processing of the AAC display as the primary dependent measure. However, communication requires attention not only to an AAC display, but also to a communication partner. Therefore, the current study seeks to examine questions of visual attention to both an AAC display and a communication partner. The investigators will manipulate characteristics of the structure of the display (e.g., arrangement of symbols), in order to determine if more optimal displays facilitate desirable patterns of visual attention to both the communication display and the partner. The mobile eye-tracking technology captures attention to both the display and the communication partner. The investigators anticipate that participants will be able to attend to their partner and the shared activity more when the AAC display is more optimal, but that when the AAC display is sub-optimal, the participants will have to spend more time examining the AAC display and less time in actual communication.
Use of Liquid Stable Levothyroxine in Trisomy 21 Pediatric Patients
HypothyroidismTrisomy 21Children with levothyroxine (T21) have developmental delay and other functional gastrointestinal (GI) issues that may negatively affect L-T4 tolerability and absorption. For an age group unable to swallow tablets whole by mouth, tablets must be crushed and suspended in water, breast milk or formula for administration in order to treat children with hypothyroidism. For this age group, ease of administration may have a significant impact on compliance and ability to remain euthyroid. We propose that Tirosint-SOL® will be more favorably received due to ease of administration, improved tolerability and palatability, therefore leading to improved adherence when compared to L-T4 tablets.
Promotion of Physical Activity in Adolescents With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Adolescent BehaviorIntellectual Disability2 moreThe objective of this study is to compare the effect of two strategies to increase MVPA in adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD): a single level intervention delivered to the adolescent only, and a multi-level intervention delivered to both the adolescent and a parent .
Study of the Efficacy of New Non-invasive Prenatal Tests for Screening for Fetal Trisomies Using...
Trisomy 21Trisomy 181 moreEach year, 450,000 Canadian women become pregnant and, as a result of their participation in prenatal screening for Down syndrome, approximately 10,000 of them will have an amniocentesis (i.e. sampling of liquid surrounding the fetus) and of those, 315 will be found to carry a baby with Down syndrome and 70 normal pregnancies will be lost from complications of the procedure. It has been discovered recently that, during pregnancy, there is fetal DNA in maternal blood in sufficient quantities to be analysed and methods have been proposed to detect the presence or not of a fetus with Down syndrome using maternal blood. The introduction of genomic blood testing as proposed in the context of this project could lead to increased detection of Down syndrome, less invasive screening with 9700 amniocentesis avoided each year in Canada, improving the peace of mind of pregnant women, and preventing the accidental loss of 70 normal fetuses, at a lower overall cost than current practice. However, these methods still need to be validated before being appropriately introduced in routine care. The study hypothesis is that new genomics-based non-invasive methods using fetal-DNA in maternal blood during pregnancy can be more effective than current prenatal screening methods for fetal aneuploidy. This project will carry out an independent study that will validate the performance and utility of different new genomic technologies for screening in pregnant women using maternal blood. The team of researchers will compare the real-life performance of different non-invasive assays and strategies to screen for fetal aneuploidy, and identify an evidence-based cost-effective approach for implementation of this new technology in the Canadian health care system. The deliverables of this project will enable decision makers, pregnant women and their partner to make informed choices pertaining to prenatal genetic screening and diagnosis, such as screening for Down syndrome, and reduce the risk to pregnancies associated with amniocentesis.
Liq-NOL Efficacy in Pediatric Patients With Down Syndrome
Down SyndromeThe purpose of this study is to measure the effects of LiQ-NOL supplementation on language production using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals test, language sampling using the mean length of utterance test, and speech articulation using the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation.