Down Syndrome Clinical Trials

The researchers are investigating if the Self-Supporting Nasopharyngeal Airway (ssNPA) device can be used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children with Hypotonic Upper Airway Obstruction (HUAO). Read Less

The specimen collection is designed for the purpose of the development of a noninvasive prenatal test for T21. Read Less

Down Syndrome (DS) is characterized by an additional copy of chromosome 21, which also increases risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The investigators' lab found a non-invasive way to remove toxic proteins from the brain in AD mouse models. Remarkably, treated mice also have improved memory on behavioral testing. The investigators then translated this non-invasive method, which uses light and sound to stimulate the brain, to be used in mild Alzheimer's patients and cognitively normal adults. The investigators have also translated this research into a vibrating speaker device to study tactile vibration to stimulate the brain as well. For the present study, 30 participants with Down Syndrome and 30 cognitively normal adult controls will be recruited, and the investigators will assess their brain waves with electroencephalogram (EEG) during light, sound, and tactile stimulation. The investigators will also test for safety, feasibility, and cognitive performance before and after a 30-60 minute session of light and sound stimulation to optimize the stimulation devices for use in the DS population. Read Less

Infants with Down syndrome show significant delays and weaknesses in motor, cognitive, and language development compared to typically developing infants. This project aims to examine the developmental cascade effects of specific gross and fine motor experience on motor, cognitive and language development in infants with Down syndrome. We propose that both gross and fine motor experience will facilitate cognitive and language development in infants with Down syndrome, and particularly, fine motor experience will help advance gesture and early words production. Read Less

Objective: The development of a patient registry for Down syndrome (DS) was identified as a priority in the 2007 Down Syndrome Research Plan. Under the auspices of the Down Syndrome Consortium, founded in 2011 as a public-private partnership between the NIH and DS advocacy organizations, NICHD awarded a contract in 2012 to create a patient-focused online registry to facilitate research participation by individuals with DS. Two advisory boards, composed of advocates, family members, clinicians, researchers, and other relevant parties, have been involved in the development of the registry materials. Study Population: Individuals with DS (including those with mosaic DS and partial trisomy 21) Design: DS-Connect (TM) is an online survey tool designed to collect demographic data and health information from individuals with DS. Outcome measures: The purposes of DS-Connect (TM) are: 1. To identify the various phenotypic manifestations of DS. 2. To identify individuals with DS who may be eligible for research studies or new clinical trials, based on specific information about their diagnosis and health history. Read Less

Determine the efficacy of family-informed intervention (INT) vs standard clinical care over a period of twelve months in children with obstructive sleep apnea and Down Syndrome. Read Less

This is an open-label study of the combination of atomoxetine and oxybutynin (ato-oxy) in children with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) documented by polysomnography (PSG). Participants will receive ato-oxy for 6 months. Ato-oxy dose will be 5 mg oxybutynin and 0.5mg/kg/day (max 40 mg) atomoxetine. Dosing of the study treatment will occur approximately 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Participants who withdraw from the study will not be replaced. Study participants will undergo eligibility screening that will include an initial screening to determine whether non- PSG enrollment criteria are met, followed by a 1 night in-lab PSG and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and cognitive assessment for participants who qualify based on non-PSG criteria. For participants who are eligible and enroll in the study, the screening PSG night will serve as the baseline measure for apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and other PSG endpoints. On the final night of dosing for ato-oxy participants will return for inpatient PSG and health-related quality of life assessment and cognitive assessment. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in obstructive AHI from baseline. Read Less

Children with Down syndrome (DS) face life-long struggles with verbal communication. Babble and speech sound development is delayed, and speech can be difficult to understand. Words emerge late, at 21 months on average, compared to 12 months for typical peers, and vocabulary and grammar can remain limited throughout adulthood. Because DS is diagnosed at or even before birth, these difficulties are predictable; yet despite this prognostic knowledge, systematic and sustained proactive interventions have not yet been developed: Most children with DS are not assessed and treated for speech and language delays until age 2 to 4 years. This presents an untapped opportunity space to conduct a clinical trial of a proactive intervention in earliest infancy with the goal of building resilience against the anticipated difficulties. The intervention trialed here is a modified version of Babble Boot Camp (BBC), a proactive speech and language intervention originally developed for young infants with classic galactosemia (CG) (NIH 5R01HD098253). CG is a metabolic disease that, similar to DS, is diagnosed at birth and poses risks for severe speech and language delays. BBC is implemented by a speech-language pathologist who, via telehealth, trains parents to incorporate skill-building activities and routines into their daily lives at home. For the present study, 20 children with DS age birth to 12 months will be recruited and randomized into two treatment arms. One group will receive weekly individualized parent sessions and close monitoring of the child's progress. The second group will receive the same content but at a lower intensity and dosage, via monthly parent group meetings. Both groups will receive their intervention for 10 months. Specific aims are to quantify benefits for babble, speech production, and receptive and expressive language and to investigate associations between conversational dynamics in child-adult interactions and the children's speech and language. Outcomes in speech and language skills will show relative feasibility and benefits for each of these treatment modalities and motivate a larger clinical trial, with the ultimate goal of changing the way infants with DS receive support in their speech and language development, from a deficit-based, remedial model to a proactive one. Read Less

The investigators are assessing acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of an remote choreographed exercise intervention using validated scales alongside qualitative data among young adults with Down Syndrome. Participants will take part in a 12-week exercise program with two 35-minute session per week delivered in a group setting. The aims of the project are to: * Assess the feasibility of a 12 week remotely delivered group dance intervention. * Assess changes in aerobic fitness and cognitive function in response to a 12 week remotely delivered group dance intervention. * Assess the intensity and total energy expenditure of remotely delivered group dance sessions. Read Less

The emergence of crawling and walking is significantly delayed in infants with Down syndrome (DS), but the development of independent mobility provides infants with new opportunities for exploring the environment and interacting with objects and people that are important foundations for early learning. Increasing infant mobility early in development with body weight supported harness systems may support infant exploration, communication, and social interaction. This project will set the stage for the first clinical trial of a mobility-related intervention specifically tailored for infants with DS by testing the feasibility of harness systems with infants and families and identifying measures that will serve as primary outcome variables. Upon completion of this pilot project, necessary preliminary data and experience required for an in-home, high-impact clinical trial for infants with DS will have been obtained. Read Less

The purpose of the Trial-Ready Cohort - Down Syndrome (TRC-DS) is to enroll 120 healthy adults with Down syndrome (DS), between the ages of 25-55, into a trial ready cohort (TRC), and up to 450 participants in total including co-enrolled in the Alzheimer Biomarkers Consortium - Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) study. Participants enrolled in the TRC-DS will undergo longitudinal cognitive and clinical assessment, genetic and biomarker testing, as well as imaging and biospecimen collection. Using these outcome measures, researchers will analyze the relationships between cognitive measures and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to identify endpoints for AD clinical trials in DS that best reflect disease progression. To learn more about the study and participating sites, visit our study website at: https://www.trcds.org/. TRC-DS is collaborating with the Alzheimer's Disease Biomarker Consortium-Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) to allow study participants to be concurrently enrolled in both ABC-DS and TRC-DS, referred to as "co-enrollment". ABC-DS is a longitudinal, observational research study that is overseen at University of Pittsburgh Coordinating Center. ABC-DS participants who express interest in potentially joining a clinical trial in the future and who meet TRC-DS eligibility criteria, may choose to co-enroll in TRC-DS at an ABC-DS Site. Co-enrolled participants will adhere to the ABC-DS protocol and schedule of activities, but agree to share their data with the TRC-DS team and to receive invitations for future participation in clinical trials. Fore more information on ABC-DS please visit https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/abc-ds or http://abcds.pitt.edu/. Read Less

In this study, investigators will study the impact of a 1:1 caregiver coaching intervention using the JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, Regulation) behavioral therapy curriculum compared to a psychoeducational curriculum that will be provided to caregivers for self-directed learning. Investigators want to determine the impact of both interventions on the child's development and behavior, and caregiver implementation of strategies. Read Less