Hartley, Sigan L PHD

INCLUDE Grants​

Auditory function, cognition, language and brain structure in Down Syndrome

Alexander, Andrew LHartley, Sigan LLitovsky, Ruth Y

Down syndrome (DS) is a leading known cause of intellectual disability and a highly recognized genetic syndrome that involves multiple medical co-morbidities; hearing deficits in DS are estimated to occur at a rate of 80-90% and are thought to be caused by a combination of structural and functional abnormalities in the external and/or inner ear. This project aims to tackle a timely and significant question regarding the role of hearing loss in DS on auditory function, cognition, language, and structural integrity of brain regions that are important for hearing, meeting the programmatic objectives of INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndrome. Results will provided information regarding clinical diagnosis and intervention to facilitate treatment of hearing disorders in individuals with DS, and more long-term impact will be identification of measures that may be used to evaluate effectiveness of pharmaceutical and therapeutic trials.

Lifestyle Risk and Resiliency Factors and Alzheimer’s Disease in Down syndrome

Hartley, Sigan L

Adults with Down syndrome are at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The parent R01 addresses this public health crisis by investigating the effect of modifiable aspects of lifestyle (physical activity, sleep, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement) on biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline in adults with Down syndrome. This supplement builds on this effort by increasing the sample size and diversity and employing new innovative mediational analyses and methods for non-invasive biomarkers of sleep and physical activity in everyday life.

Down Syndrome Publications​