| pubmed-article:2706124 | pubmed:abstractText | Postmortem morphometric analyses of Bielschowsky stained sections from brains of 70 mentally retarded people without Down syndrome, age 65 and over when they died, indicated Alzheimer-type neuropathology in 22 cases (31%) and a majority with at least presence of some Alzheimer-type lesions. Based upon information abstracted from clinical histories, however, old-age-associated dementia proved to be difficult to judge reliably. Nevertheless, for otherwise healthy individuals (n = 25), loss of motor skills, development of problem behaviors, and a 10-point drop in IQ appeared to be likely indicators of Alzheimer's disease. Prevalence estimates of Alzheimer-type neuropathology among nonretarded people and the present sample appear comparable, and projections must be made to address the special needs of this rapidly growing population of retarded people. | lld:pubmed |
