Why some children with Down syndrome have very low early thinking skills
Risk for Severe/Profound Intellectual Disability in Down Syndrome
Researchers will follow a group of young children with Down syndrome over three years to learn which medical, behavior, and blood markers link to very low early cognitive skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Colorado State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fort Collins, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181508 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has Down syndrome, this project will invite families to join a three-visit program when the child is about 12, 24, and 36 months old. At each visit your child will complete standard cognitive and developmental tests, caregivers will provide medical and behavior history, and a small blood sample will be taken. The team will look for connections between severe early delays and things like inflammation markers, signs of neurodegeneration, growth-hormone/IGF1 patterns, and metabolic changes. The aim is to better understand why some children show the most pronounced early delays so future supports can be targeted.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are children with Down syndrome around 12 months old who can return for follow-up visits at 24 and 36 months, along with a caregiver willing to provide medical history and blood samples.
Not a fit: Older children or adults with Down syndrome, or families unwilling/unable to attend in-person visits or provide blood samples, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help spot children at highest risk earlier and point to biological or behavioral targets for earlier support.
How similar studies have performed: Previous developmental studies in Down syndrome exist but often underrepresent children with severe or profound delays, so this focused longitudinal approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Fort Collins, United States
- Colorado State University — Fort Collins, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fidler, Deborah J — Colorado State University
- Study coordinator: Fidler, Deborah J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.