Disability and Health Journal最新文献

{"title":"Global trends and inequalities in disability wellbeing research: A bibliometric analysis (2019-2025).","authors":"Paula Morales Almeida, Pedro Alemán Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102169","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Wellbeing has become an increasingly important focus of disability research as the field has shifted from deficit-oriented biomedical models toward multidimensional, biopsychosocial, and health equity frameworks. However, the rapid growth of disability wellbeing research makes it increasingly difficult to identify dominant themes, emerging priorities, and knowledge gaps.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to analyse global scientific production on wellbeing among people with disabilities between 2019 and 2025.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection (SCIE, SSCI, ESCI). Publications were identified through a structured search strategy combining disability-related terms in the Title field and wellbeing-related terms in the Topic field. Bibliometric performance analysis and science mapping were conducted using Bibliometrix (R). Analyses included publication trends, leading journals, countries, institutions, collaboration networks, author keyword co-occurrence, strategic thematic mapping, and Bradford's and Lotka's distributions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 8944 publications were identified, with an annual growth rate of 12.91%. Scientific production was concentrated in high-income countries, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Quality of life emerged as the dominant conceptual theme, accompanied by mental health, rehabilitation, and participation, while social inclusion, digital health, and health equity represented emerging research topics. Important gaps remained regarding Global South representation, intersectionality, and policy-oriented disability research.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Disability wellbeing research is characterised by sustained scientific growth and increasing conceptual diversification. Nevertheless, persistent geographic and conceptual imbalances highlight the need for more globally representative, inclusive, and policy-oriented research to advance disability health equity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102169"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148907658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing mobile integrated health for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a qualitative readiness assessment.","authors":"Laurel O'Connor, Catherine King, Leah Dunkel, Nikita Murli, Deborah Dreyfus, Joseph Knight, John P Broach, Kathryn Moreland, Michael Hall, Jamie Faro, Emily Lauer","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102168","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience disparities in access to timely, high-quality acute care. Mobile Integrated Health (MIH), a paramedic-led model that utilizes mobile assets to deliver in-home care in coordination with supervising physicians, may address these care gaps. Its adaptation for the IDD population has not been systematically examined.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this study was to evaluate stakeholder readiness, perceived barriers, and facilitators for adapting MIH for patients with IDD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We recruited 2 community paramedics, 5 clinicians, 4 administrative leaders, and 3 caregivers to participate in semi-structured interviews. Interview guides were developed to assess readiness, barriers, and facilitators for implementing MIH for adults with IDD, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Interviews were analyzed using a hybrid inductive-deductive thematic approach. Findings from the analysis were then integrated into an Implementation Mapping process.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Stakeholders identified three major themes: (1) Effective MIH implementation requires integration with existing systems to support interdisciplinary coordination and sustainability, (2) protocols must be adapted to the behavioral and medical complexities of the IDD population, and (3) MIH overcomes barriers to access and resource utilization and facilitates patient-centered approaches to the care of patients with IDD. Implementation mapping identified multi-level barriers to MIH adoption, including limited awareness, unclear workflows, and funding uncertainty.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>MIH offers a community-based approach to patient-centered acute care for adults with IDD. Successful implementation will require coordinated strategies addressing clinical, operational, and policy barriers, emphasizing interprofessional collaboration and sustainable reimbursement mechanisms to support long-term adoption.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102168"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13556176/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148889171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing survey reporting of standard and alternative measures of disability status and disability identity among adults ages 18 to 64.","authors":"Michael Karpman, Amanda Hermans, Noah Kennedy","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102166","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Federal disability data collection standards require national population health surveys to assess limitations across six functional domains. These questions underrepresent people with certain disabilities, posing challenges for estimating disparities and motivating efforts to develop alternative measures aligned with federal antidiscrimination law.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine who is captured by alternative measurement approaches but is missed by standard measures, including among adults with self-identified disabilities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using December 2024 data from a nationally representative survey of 18-64-year-old adults, we compare responses to the six-item American Community Survey (ACS-6) functional limitation questions; an alternative Comprehensive Disability Status (CDS) question about presence of a long-term health condition, impairment, or disability and related activity limitations; and disability identity. We examine who the CDS identifies beyond those captured by the ACS-6 and how responses among self-identified disabled adults are associated with sociodemographic characteristics using linear probability models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen percent of respondents self-identified as disabled, 20% reported a functional limitation based on the ACS-6, and 27% reported a long-term condition, impairment, or disability based on the CDS, half of whom had activity limitations. Among adults self-identifying as disabled, 76% reported a functional limitation from the standard ACS-6 question set and 90% responded affirmatively to the CDS. Compared with adults reporting one or more functional limitations from the ACS-6, those captured by the CDS but not the ACS-6 reported higher levels of employment, income, and educational attainment, with varying differences by disability identity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Understanding intersections between standard and alternative survey questions on disability status and disability identity can inform efforts to develop inclusive measurement approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving care equity for hard-of-hearing veterans through implementation of a hearing assistive device in the emergency department: A pre-post observational study.","authors":"Jessica Faiz, Hiroko Akuzawa, Patricia Fermin, Constance Fung, Selene Mak, W Neil Steers, Anita A Vashi, Tanya Olmos-Ochoa, Michelle S Wong","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102167","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In the high-noise environment of emergency departments (EDs), Veterans who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (HOH) often face communication barriers that can compromise care. To address this, we piloted and scaled up a program providing a personal voice amplification device (\"device\") to Veterans who are HOH.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate feasibility, early acceptability, and ED operational outcomes after scale-up of device use for HOH Veterans to all ED staff.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following a 6-month pilot (4/2024-10/2024) involving clinical champions, the program was implemented department-wide at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs ED (11/2024-6/2025). Data sources included the ED tracking system, electronic health record, and patient and staff surveys. We compared pilot and scale-up periods using bivariate and multivariate analyses on time to disposition, admission rate and 3-day revisit rate.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the pilot, 2.3% (387/16,449) of visits were for Veterans who are HOH, compared with 1.8% (347/19,111) during scale-up. Of scale-up visits, 36% resulted in admission, 64% in discharge, and 4% in 3-day revisits (versus, 33%, 67%, and 6% during the pilot). In adjusted analyses, time to disposition was longer during the scale-up, with mean time 48 min longer (95% CI, 15-80, p = 0.004). Among 79 encounters where staff completed the surveys, the device was used in 81% (64/79) and of those, 84% (54/64) of staff responses rated it as very helpful. Of 18 surveyed Veterans who used the device, 89% (16/18) reported the device was helpful. Notably, 26% of Veterans who are HOH identified during scale-up had no prior hearing loss diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implementation of an assistive hearing device in the emergency department was feasible and well accepted by staff and Veterans who used it. The initiative also highlighted the ED's potential role in identifying previously unrecognized hearing loss. Future work should focus on sustaining and streamlining device use.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102167"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The experience of people with acquired brain injury with home exercise programs: A qualitative descriptive study.","authors":"Sarah E Wallace, Elena V Donoso Brown, Candace M van der Stelt, Briana Patterson, Jacquelyn F Stochel, Samantha Kimbis","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Home exercise programs extend the benefits of rehabilitation following acquired brain injury. However, they are not completed consistently. To improve rehabilitation outcomes greater understanding is needed of the patient experience when completing a home programs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This qualitative descriptive study explored perceptions of patients with acquired brain injury regarding their home exercise programs (HEP) following inpatient rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-eight patients with brain injury were recruited from one rehabilitation hospital. Participants spoke English, were between 18 and 85 years old, had no neurodegenerative disorders, and received HEPs before inpatient rehabilitation discharge. Participants completed semi-structured interviews about six months after discharge. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The qualitative analysis involved an inductive content analysis. Specifically, we used an iterative process of consensus coding and theme extraction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three primary themes with related subthemes emerged. First, participants expressed positive experiences and attitudes toward HEPs, including understanding the home program, its feasibility and value, adaptations over time, and recommending home programs to other ABI survivors. Second, participants identified facilitating and inhibiting factors to HEP adherence, indicating that their adherence changed over time. Participants identified intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting adherence. Finally, participants connected their HEP and rehabilitation experiences including discussion of funding and insurance, and their experience or attitudes toward rehabilitation and clinicians.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Clinicians may consider home programs evolving nature, help patients plan for intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting program completion, and leverage the perceived interconnectedness between home programs and rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102140"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Birth outcomes at the intersection of physical disability and race/ethnicity in Massachusetts, 1998-2021.","authors":"Ilhom Akobirshoev, Willi Horner-Johnson, Frank S Li, Janelle Mills, Anne Valentine, Monika Mitra","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102141","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Women with physical disabilities face elevated risks of adverse birth outcomes, yet little is known about how these risks vary by race/ethnicity.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine birth outcomes at the intersection of physical disability and race/ethnicity in Massachusetts births, 1998-2021.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 1,503,233 singleton births using linked birth certificates and hospital discharges data. Modified Poisson regression estimated adjusted risk ratios for preterm birth and low birth weight.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women with physical disabilities experienced highest risk for very preterm birth and very low birth weight. They faced 3.52 and 2.26 times the adjusted risks of very preterm birth (aRR = 3.52,95% CI:3.20-3.88, and aRR = 2.26; 95%CI: 2.05-2.50, respectively) and 4.04 and 2.47 times the adjusted risk of very low birth weight (aRR = 4.04, 95%CI:3.64-4.48; and aRR = 2.47; 95%CI:2.22-2.75), compared to White women without disabilities. Approximately 12-14% of the observed disparities in these outcomes were attributable to the interaction between physical disability and racial/ethnic identity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Women with both physical disabilities and minoritized racial/ethnic identities experience compounded risks for adverse birth outcomes, with risks exceeding the sum of those associated with each identity alone. There is need for adopting intersectional approaches to maternal healthcare that explicitly account for disability in the context of race and ethnicity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102141"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148800725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Women vs men after traumatic spinal cord injury: Longitudinal sex differences in secondary complications, rehospitalization burden, and community participation.","authors":"Andrea Calderone, Loredana Raciti, Maria Pia Onesta, Marco Piccione, Rosaria De Luca, Antonio Cerasa, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102138","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Long-term outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) reflect secondary complications, rehospitalization, and participation restriction, yet longitudinal sex differences remain incompletely characterized.</p><p><strong>Objective/hypothesis: </strong>To examine female-versus-male differences in secondary complications, rehospitalization burden, and community participation across post-injury anniversary waves.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed the SpinTal Cord Injury Model Systems Public Use Dataset 2021ARPublic. Of 34,675 baseline records screened, 29,049 participants with recorded female/male sex entered the longitudinal analytic cohort, contributing 72,299 person-waves across waves 1-40. Repeated-measures models adjusted for baseline sociodemographic/injury covariates. Urinary tract infection (UTI) and pressure-ulcer models used 2012-2021 interviews; fall and weeks-employed models used 2017-2021 interviews. Denominators varied by variable availability and valid responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women had higher adjusted odds of UTI (odds ratio [OR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25 to 1.45), higher pain interference (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.24), and higher pain severity (beta, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.41). Women had lower pressure-ulcer odds (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.94), similar fall odds, slightly higher any-rehospitalization odds, but fewer rehospitalization days. In participation subsets, women had lower Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) Mobility, lower competitive employment, and fewer weeks employed, but higher CHART Occupation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Sex-related differences after TSCI were multidomain and nonuniform. Women experienced greater urinary and pain burden with less favorable mobility and employment-related participation, but lower pressure-ulcer odds. These findings support sex-informed follow-up across complications, hospital use, and participation after TSCI, and caution against treating sex differences as uniformly favorable or unfavorable across outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102138"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Primary care for people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) and diabetes or hypertension; highlighting current gaps in care.","authors":"Oliver Storseth, Karen McNeil, Paula Hutchinson, Sandra Peterson, Rebecca H Correia, Alicia Thatcher, Ridhwana Kaoser, Marika Warren, David Rudoler, Ruth Lavergne","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at higher risk for chronic conditions (diabetes and hypertension) but may experience barriers to chronic disease management when primary care services are not tailored to their unique needs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This quantitative study examines patterns of primary care service use, chronic disease management, and colorectal cancer screening among people with IDD and chronic disease and explores potential disparities in care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We use population-based linked administrative data from British Columbia to identify people with diabetes and/or hypertension and compare patterns of health service utilization and evidence-informed chronic disease management stratified by recorded IDD diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among people with diabetes and/or hypertension, people with IDD access outpatient primary care visits (nurse practitioners and general practitioners) at rates slightly higher than people without IDD (11.4 vs 9.2 visits per year), receive emergency department care three times as often (2.1 vs 0.6 visits per year), and are hospitalized four times as often (40 vs 10 hospitalizations per 100 people per year). Despite more frequent health care contact overall, individuals with IDD were less likely to receive recommended lab tests for chronic disease management and colon cancer screening (60.7% among people with IDD vs 75.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Disparities in chronic disease management and cancer screening, despite more frequent health system contact overall may explain poorer health outcomes for people with IDD and reflect persistent systemic and societal barriers. Addressing current barriers is critical to developing more equitable health systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102135"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148690136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in dental care utilization and cost-related access barriers among working-age adults with and without disabilities, 2019-2023.","authors":"Wei Lyu, Jae Chul Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adults with disabilities have long faced lower dental utilization and greater cost-related barriers than adults without disabilities, yet the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these disparities among working-age adults has not been examined at the population level.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine whether disparities in dental care use and cost-related access barriers between working-age adults with and without disabilities changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023 National Health Interview Surveys (adults aged 18-64). Disability was defined using the Washington Group Short Set. Outcomes were three past-12-month measures: dental visit (exam or cleaning) and cost-related delayed and forgone dental care. Stratified weighted logistic regressions estimated average marginal effects relative to 2019, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among adults without disabilities, dental visits remained below 2019 levels in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Among adults with disabilities, dental visits declined in 2020 (-5.3 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI, -9.6 to -1.0) and 2022 (-4.8 pp; 95% CI, -9.2 to -0.5) but recovered by 2023; delayed care fell in 2022 (-4.6 pp; 95% CI, -8.4 to -0.9). Cost-related delayed and forgone care remained substantially higher among adults with disabilities throughout.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>COVID-19 was associated with larger short-term reductions in dental utilization among working-age adults with disabilities, but their utilization recovered by 2023 while disparities in cost-related unmet dental care persisted. Stabilizing dental care coverage and provider capacity, while protecting access during future public health emergencies, may help reduce these gaps.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102137"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148690158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of a 12-month randomized exercise intervention on cognitive function and brain volume in adults with down syndrome.","authors":"Lauren T Ptomey, Andrew J Aschenbrenner, Brian Helsel, Amy Bodde, Julianne G Clina, Jessica C Danon, Rebecca Lepping, Laura E Martin, Morgan Brucks, Joseph R Sherman, Daniel E Forsha, Richard A Washburn, Joseph E Donnelly","doi":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dhjo.2026.102134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have a high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). While exercise improves cognition and brain health in the general population, few long-term studies have evaluated its effects in DS.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We examined the impact of a 12-month remotely delivered exercise program on cognitive function and brain volume in adults with DS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>81 adults with DS (mean age = 27 years) were randomized to high-frequency remote exercise (3 sessions/week, RH), low-frequency remote exercise (1 session/week, RL), or a support and education control (SE). Cognitive function was assessed using the DS-adapted Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), and brain volumes were measured via MRI at baseline and 12 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no significant changes in any group in executive function or episodic memory (all p > 0.05), but the RH arm significantly improved processing speed across the 12-month intervention (EMM change: 0.17; p = 0.04). No between-group differences were observed for changes in overall cognitive scores. The RL group showed a decrease in total grey matter volume (EMM change -0.82; p = 0.02) and the RH group had no change (EMM change: 0.08; p = 0.72), yielding a significant group effect across time (EMM: 0.90; p = 0.04). Additionally, the RH arm had an increase in right hippocampal volume over 12 months (EMM change: 0.004; p = 0.04).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The improvements in reaction time, right hippocampal volume, and grey matter preservation suggest that structured exercise may influence cognition and brain health in adults with DS.</p><p><strong>Clinical trials registration: </strong>NCT04048759.</p>","PeriodicalId":49300,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Health Journal","volume":" ","pages":"102134"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148632417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}