Ageing in Adults With Mild and Moderate Intellectual Disabilities in Brazil: A Biopsychosocial Comparison of Individuals With and Without Down Syndrome

IF 2.4 2区医学 Q1 EDUCATION, SPECIAL

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-28 DOI:10.1111/jir.70151

Leila Regina de Castro, Rita de Cassia Ernandes, Erika Christina Gouveia e Silva, Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca, José Maria Montiel, Angelica Castilho Alonso

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The objective of this study is to investigate functional, cognitive, physical and nutritional outcomes in adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs), comparing individuals with and without Down syndrome from São Paulo, Brazil, and to evaluate the associations of group, degree of disability, age and sex with these outcomes. Additionally, we hypothesized that individuals with Down syndrome would present greater vulnerability to cognitive and physical decline compared to those with ID of other aetiologies.

Method

This cross-sectional observational study included 52 adults with ID divided into two groups: (1) 24 participants with Down syndrome (ID-DS) and (2) 28 participants with non-DS aetiologies (ID-nonDS). Assessments included sociodemographic and clinical data; functional independence measure (FIM); physical performance (handgrip strength, 30-s sit-to-stand test, gait speed test and MiniBESTest); nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA]); cognitive function (Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly–Down Syndrome [CAMCOG-DS]); cognitive decline (Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly [IQCODE]); and functional activities (Pfeffer Questionnaire [QPAF]). Data were obtained through self-report whenever possible, and proxy report (caregivers) when necessary, based on participants' communication abilities.

Results

Compared with the ID-nonDS group, the ID-DS group demonstrated significantly poorer learning (β = −2.56; p = 0.049) and remote memory performance (β = −1.18; p = 0.011), a nonsignificant trend towards lower handgrip strength (β = −4.68; p = 0.051) and more falls (β = −0.39; p = 0.050). Sex and degree of disability were associated with several outcomes, whereas age showed no significant effect.

Conclusion

Adults in the ID-DS group exhibited cognitive and physical profiles suggestive of increased vulnerability to age-related functional impairment compared with adults with other forms of ID. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the cross-sectional design and sample size limitations. Replication in larger samples will be necessary to confirm these observations.

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巴西轻度和中度智力残疾成人的老龄化：患有和不患有唐氏综合症的个体的生物心理社会比较

目的：本研究的目的是调查智力残疾成人（id）的功能、认知、身体和营养结局，比较来自巴西圣保罗的唐氏综合症患者和非唐氏综合症患者，并评估群体、残疾程度、年龄和性别与这些结局的关系。此外，我们假设患有唐氏综合症的个体比其他病因的ID患者更容易出现认知和身体衰退。方法：本横断面观察研究纳入52例唐氏综合征成人患者，分为两组：(1)24例唐氏综合征患者（ID- ds）和(2)28例非唐氏综合征患者（ID- nonds）。评估包括社会人口学和临床数据；功能独立性度量；体能表现（握力、30秒坐立测试、步速测试、MiniBESTest）；营养状况（迷你营养评估[MNA]）；认知功能（剑桥老年唐氏综合症精神障碍认知检查[CAMCOG-DS]）；认知能力下降（老年人认知能力下降问卷[IQCODE]）；和功能活动（Pfeffer Questionnaire [QPAF]）。根据参与者的沟通能力，尽可能通过自我报告获得数据，必要时通过代理报告（照顾者）获得数据。结果：与ID-DS组相比，ID-DS组的学习能力（β = -2.56, p = 0.049）和远程记忆能力（β = -1.18, p = 0.011）显著下降，握力（β = -4.68, p = 0.051）和摔倒（β = -0.39, p = 0.050）的趋势不显著。性别和残疾程度与一些结果相关，而年龄没有显著影响。结论：与患有其他形式ID的成年人相比，ID- ds组的成年人表现出的认知和身体特征表明，他们更容易受到年龄相关功能障碍的影响。由于横断面设计和样本量的限制，这些发现应谨慎解释。为了证实这些观察结果，需要在更大的样本中进行复制。

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来源期刊

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research Multiple-

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

5.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Intellectual Disability Research is devoted exclusively to the scientific study of intellectual disability and publishes papers reporting original observations in this field. The subject matter is broad and includes, but is not restricted to, findings from biological, educational, genetic, medical, psychiatric, psychological and sociological studies, and ethical, philosophical, and legal contributions that increase knowledge on the treatment and prevention of intellectual disability and of associated impairments and disabilities, and/or inform public policy and practice. Expert reviews on themes in which recent research has produced notable advances will be included. Such reviews will normally be by invitation.