Correspondence
In Reply
Impairments of the sensory organs in persons with Down syndrome are of great relevance and can constitute a relevant problem in their medical care.
Visual and auditory impairments in adults with Down syndrome are common, can lead to significant limitations in everyday life and changes in behavior, and are among the differential diagnoses if cognitive impairments are suspected. We thank the correspondent for his important comment, which once again shows the breadth of medical problems in people with Down syndrome. These patients should be treated by colleagues with special expertise. Cataracts caused by deposits of β-amyloid in the lens is yet another example of an age-dependent disorder that occurs at a notably younger age because of the triplication of the amyloid-predecessor protein gene in trisomy-21.
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0076
On behalf of the authors
Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Levin
Klinik für Neurologie
Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und
Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e. V. (DZNE)
jlevin@med.uni-muenchen.de
Conflict of interest statement
Prof. Levin reports that he has received lecture honoraria from Bayer Vital, Biogen, and Roche; consultant’s fees from Axon Neuroscience and Biogen; and author’s fees from Thieme (Medizinverlag) and W. Kohlhammer GmbH (Medizinverlag). He also reports being paid for his work as Chief Medical Officer of MODAG GmbH and as an inventor in a patent filed by MODAG GmbH entitled “Pharmaceutical Composition and Methods of Use” (EP 22 159 408.8).
| 1. | Levin J, Hasan A, Alba Alejandre I, Lorenzi I, Mall V, Rohrer TR: Diseases affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals with trisomy 21. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2023; 120: 14–24 VOLLTEXT |
