Down Syndrome: Understanding Cognitive and Behavioral Functioning across the Lifespan

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, there has been significant advancement regarding the research on Down syndrome (DS), partly due to the increase in multidisciplinary approaches to research. Evidence so far has demonstrated that individuals with DS have unique neurocognitive and neurobehavioral profiles across their lifespan that distinguish them from individuals with other types of intellectual disabilities (ID).  In addition, researchers now agree that individuals with DS should not be treated as a homogeneous group, since individual differences can be seen across multiple domains, including biological, cognitive, and behavioral features. Given the significant increase in life expectancy for individuals with DS, a focus on individual differences across individuals with trisomy 21 provides an opportunity to explore genotype/phenotype relations in DS and identify risk and protective factors for co-occurring conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, an emphasis on the development of psychometrically sound cognitive and behavioral outcome measures is essential to accurately assess development and decline in DS, as well as to measure treatment efficacy in novel therapies. 

This Special Issue focuses on current knowledge regarding cognitive and behavioral functioning across the lifespan of individuals with DS. Manuscripts addressing these topics are invited to contribute to this Special Issue. The keywords listed below provide examples of possible areas of interest.

Dr. Laura Del Hoyo Soriano
Dr. Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.