Adults with intellectual disabilities at risk of dementia

Researchers think they've discovered a link between dementia risk and intellectual impairment (ID). Both inherited and acquired factors have an impact on when it first appears. The incidence of dementia in the general population is also known to grow with lesser cognitive reserve, the capacity for thought generated via learning and deliberate mental effort.
It is uncertain how common dementia is among people with ID without Down syndrome (DS) compared to the general population, and the risk factors that influence dementia risk aren't completely recognised. In Japan, people with ID are more likely to develop dementia than the general population, and researchers have just discovered these risks.
Professor Shintaro Takenoshita, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuropsychiatry at Okayama University Hospital, Japan, led the team. "Diagnosing dementia in people with ID is difficult owing to the mixed effects of innate cognitive decline and the cognitive decline that occurs over time due to dementia. However, it is quite possible to diagnose dementia if cognitive and lifestyle functions are assessed chronologically based on information from family and other support persons. We believe that even in persons with intellectual disabilities, dementia needs to be properly evaluated," explains Prof. Takenoshita regarding the group's motivation to pursue the study.