# Assessment of Physical Activity for Alzheimer's Disease Research in Down Syndrome

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $125,153

## Abstract

Project Summary or Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of death in adults with Down
syndrome (DS) with >90% developing AD in their lifetime. This may be related to the abnormal accumulation of
amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins which occur 20-30 years earlier in adults with DS compared with the
development of late-onset sporadic AD in typically developed adults. Data from typically developed adults
suggest that sedentary behavior (SB) and low moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are associated
with ~12% of AD. Current U.S. activity guidelines suggest that regular MVPA benefits brain health by reducing
the risk of dementia, improving cognition, and reducing sleep disruptions which may contribute to ~15% of AD
cases worldwide. To date, a limited number of trials have evaluated the association between physical activity
(PA) intensity and AD in adults with DS due in part to a lack of validated objective measures of these outcomes
in the DS population. Cut-points to assess PA intensity using the ActiGraph portable accelerometer worn at the
waist, a widely used objective measure of PA in health-related research, have been developed for typically
developed adults. However, biomechanical and physiological differences between typically developed adults
and adults with DS suggest that ActiGraph intensity cut-points validated for typically developed adults may be
inappropriate for use in adults with DS. Our preliminary data suggests that the cut-point for MVPA is ~50%
lower than the MVPA cut-point for typically developed adults. Thus, we may be vastly underestimating PA
levels in adults with DS. This K01 award consists of 2 aims and a training plan to begin to address the
assessment of activity intensity during daily life and the impact of PA intensity and duration on plasma
biomarkers associated with AD, cognitive function, and sleep quality in adults with DS. My short-term goals
and the focus of my research and training plan are to: 1) develop valid ActiGraph cut-points for the assessment
of daily PA in adults with DS; 2) acquire knowledge related to the neuropathology of AD including the
assessment of plasma biomarkers; and 3) develop proficiency in the measurement of free-living sleep and
cognition and the conduct of clinical trials relative to PA and AD in adults with DS. My long-term goal is to
become a funded investigator who is an internationally recognized expert in understanding the impact of PA on
brain aging and AD development in adults with DS. The first aim of this K01 is to develop and validate free-
living ActiGraph GT9X Link triaxial accelerometer activity intensity cut-points for sedentary, light, moderate,
and vigorous activity. The second aim is to explore the impact of SB, light PA, and MVPA on plasma
biomarkers associated with AD, cognitive function, and sleep quality in adults with DS participating in the NIH-
funded Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium - Down Syndrome (ABC-DS; U19 AG070043) study and Lifestyl...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10912816
- **Project number:** 5K01AG083130-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian Helsel
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $125,153
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10912816

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10912816, Assessment of Physical Activity for Alzheimer's Disease Research in Down Syndrome (5K01AG083130-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10912816. Licensed CC0.

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