AUTHOR=Brown Stephanie S. G. , Mak Elijah , Zaman Shahid TITLE=Multi-Modal Imaging in Down's Syndrome: Maximizing Utility Through Innovative Neuroimaging Approaches JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.629463 DOI=10.3389/fneur.2020.629463 ISSN=1664-2295 ABSTRACT=
In recent decades, the field of neuroimaging has experienced a surge of popularity and innovation which has led to significant advancements in the understanding of neurological disease, if not immediate clinical translation. In the case of Down's syndrome, a complex interplay of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes occur as a result of the trisomy of chromosome 21. The substantial potential impact of improved clinical intervention and the limited research under-taken to date make it a prime candidate for longitudinal neuroimaging-based study. However, as with a multitude of other multifaceted brain-based disorders, singular utilization of lone modality imaging has limited interpretability and applicability. Indeed, a present challenge facing the neuroimaging community as a whole is the methodological integration of multi-modal imaging to enhance clinical understanding. This review therefore aims to assess the current literature in Down's syndrome utilizing a multi-modal approach with regards to improvement upon consideration of a single modality. Additionally, we discuss potential avenues of future research that may effectively combine structural, functional and molecular-based imaging techniques for the significant benefit of the understanding of Down's syndrome pathology.