Comparison of emotional bonds and reading skills in Down syndrome adults with and without Alzheimer's

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cognitive disorder and people with Down syndrome face this disease from middle age onwards, leading to numerous problems for the individuals and their families. Important factors, such as psychological, health, and educational variables, have not been investigated so far. This study aimed to compare the emotional bond and reading skills in adults with Down syndrome with and without AD. METHODS: This study has descriptive-causal-comparative prospective research aspects. The statistical population used in this research was all adults with Down syndrome in Kermanshah Province, the western part of Iran, which included 70 people from September to November 2013. The sampling was done in a census manner. Information was collected through a demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made reading skills questionnaire, and Hillburn's Emotional Scale. Data analysis was performed in the descriptive dimension using statistical indices, and in the inferential dimension using the independent t-test and SPSS software. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups of individuals with Down syndrome with and without AD in terms of family emotional bonds and subscales (t = 1.56, P = 0.05), but there was a significant difference in reading skills and subscales between the two groups with and without AD (t = 4.87, P = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adults with Down syndrome without AD were at a higher level in terms of reading skills compared to adults with Down syndrome with AD. This issue shows the importance of reading skills in preventing AD in these people and makes it stand out.