Week 10: Encore For The Mind
Kelin X -
WOWW! Already week 10 of Senior Projects?! Time is flying by wayyy too fast, but I mean let’s face it…it always does when we’re having fun or when we’re immersed in something. Our vastly different Senior Project journeys are really coming to an end, which personally I think is sad but exciting at the same time! Definitely bittersweet. It truly feels like just yesterday I was coming up with the best title I can to perfectly encapsulate what my project was all about in College Counseling. Now, we all have like one more week of going to our site placements to wrap up our adventurous off-campus experience of Senior Projects. If I’m not mistaken, I think April 25th is our last day of “internships”. Anyways, I’d like to dedicate most of this blog post to talking about how Down’s Syndrome ties into Alzheimer’s Disease. I want to discuss this because one of the really interesting resources that Amanda gave me was a booklet covering what each of those are and much more significant information, and I definitely have learned a lot of intriguing content! I think I briefly talked about what Down Syndrome was when I was mentioning my observation experiences at one of my previous site placements (week 2 blog post…?), but I finally would like to reiterate and elaborate on what I said. I’m a big believer that researching different things and connecting that back into my topic/focus includes a lot of interwoven insights and incredibly fascinating nuances! Also, near the end of this post is where you guys will find a bit of information regarding what I chose to have my presentation slides look like and my idea for what my final product should be that best visually represents my Senior Project! I already begun the process of creating it yayy!
Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome share a genetic connection, leading to the increased risk of Dementia at an earlier age. Understandably, many families and caregivers are especially worried about this possibility. Down Syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial third copy of chromosome 21, also known as “trisomy 21” (typically, people have 2 copies of each chromosome). Chromosome 21 plays a key role in the relationship between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease, as it carries a gene (the APP gene) that produces one of the key proteins (beta-amyloid) involved with changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s. In other words, individuals with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of the APP gene, leading to overproduction of beta-amyloid which is the protein that forms the characteristic amyloid plaques seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, scientists have located several genes on chromosome 21 that are involved in the aging process and that contribute to the increased risk of AD. It is this unique property of chromosome 21 that makes the disease a more acute concern for people with Down Syndrome than those with other forms of intellectual disability.
AD isn’t inevitable in people with Down’s. While all people with Down Syndrome are at risk, many adults with Down’s will not manifest the changes of AD in their lifetime. Although risk increases with each decade of life, at no point does it come close to reaching 100%. This is why it is especially important to be careful and thoughtful about assigning this diagnosis before looking at all other possible causes for why changes are taking place with aging. Due to the excess beta-amyloid, most people with Down’s develop the brain changes of early-onset Alzheimer’s by their 40s or 50s. Also, estimates show that AD affects about 30% of people with Down’s in their 50s. By their 60s, this number comes closer to 50%. Many also go on to develop dementia symptoms in their later years.
Since people with Down Syndrome develop Alzheimer’s-like brain changes early, music can become a bridge to communication, emotion, and identity—even as other functions decline. Music therapy isn’t just about entertainment—it’s a neurological lifeline. It engages emotion, movement, and memory all at once. For individuals living with both Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s, it becomes a powerful tool for connection when other forms of communication fall away. As I continue to learn more about how music impacts the brain, especially in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, I truly realize not just the science, but the humanity behind it. In a world that can sometimes forget those with memory loss, music helps them remember who they are!
Now, I’ll be switching gears to talking about my presentation and final product! So for the presentation slides itself, I found a really nice music theme in a website that has beautiful presentational slides! For the presentation, I’m going to include information from my proposal, blog posts, and some additional information from the resources I used for my research! As for my final product, I’ve been quilling a visual representation of what my project is about. I’m thinking of quilling an outline of the brain, some simple music notes, AND an AD/Dementia logo.
That’s all for now, guys! Feel free to ask me any questions you have!
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