Down syndrome or trisomy 21 is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability, with recent national incidence estimates suggesting that 1 per 691 live births have DS (or over 5000 DS births annually). DS is associated with characteristic facial features, deficits in the immune and endocrine systems as well as delayed cognitive development. Improvements in medical care for children and adults with DS have led to significant extensions in lifespan and enhanced quality of life. However, virtually all adults with DS develop neuropathology consistent with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) by the age of 40 years, including β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Thus, a key challenge to adults with DS as they age is the increasing risk for developing dementia, yet our social and medical infrastructure is not as well prepared for providing care to adults with DS as they age relative to the outstanding support available to families and children with DS. This special issue will address a breadth of relevant issues defining the concerns faced by adults with Down syndrome as they grow older and the systems of supports and services needed to address those concerns.

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles that address aging in DS. We are interested in articles that discuss genetic, neurologic, cognitive, neurobiological, and social features of aging in DS. Reviews and or studies in transgenic mouse models of DS are also encouraged. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment in DS
• Changes in neurological or health status with aging or dementia in DS
• Neuropsychological features of aging and/or dementia in DS
• Age-related neuropathology in DS (related either to AD or other diseases, including amyloid deposition, neurofibrillary pathology, inflammation, oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, etc.)
• Biomarkers of aging or dementia in DS (imaging, blood, CSF, other)
• Risk factors and/or protective factors and dementia in DS
• Genetics that lead to enhanced vulnerability with advancing age in DS
• Aging and mouse models of DS
• Treatment of dementia in DS
• Ethical/social implications of aging and dementia in DS (e.g., caregiver support, end-of-life decisions)
• Systems of support for promoting successful aging and maximizing quality of life for older adults with DS

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cggr/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: