Alzheimer’s Association partners with Special Olympics to increase brain health awareness

The Alzheimer’s Association and Special Olympics announced a partnership to increase access to brain health resources.

Not everyone may be aware that people with Down syndrome are at significantly increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Estimates suggest that the number of people with Down syndrome who will develop dementia as they age could be more than 50 percent, a staggering figure. What I found interesting is that by “age 40, most people with Down syndrome have the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, including the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, although not everyone develops dementia symptoms.”

Here are the goals of the partnership:

• Increase awareness of dementia risk among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Connect individuals and their support networks to accessible and inclusive access to brain health education tools and support resources.
• Greater collaboration among local Alzheimer’s Association chapters and Special Olympics programs.
• Explore areas to collaborate on research and evaluation focusing on dementia in the population of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On a personal note, I have some exciting book news to share soon! Hint: It features my darling cat Rosalie. I wrote about her passing and what she meant to me when she passed a few years ago.

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