DSTOTHEMAX

DSTOTHEMAX Research Study Logo by artist Kathleen Coogan kathleendesigns.org

Down Syndrome: Toward Optimal Trajectories and Health Equity using Medicaid Analytic eXtract

Funding: 1R01AG073179-01

PI: Eric Rubenstein, PhD ScM

We want to improve health across the life course for individuals with Down syndrome. To do this, we are conducting a research study that uses Medicaid data. Medicaid is a type of public health insurance that provides health coverage to individuals with disabilities or low income in the United States. Nearly all adults with Down syndrome use Medicaid. As such, we are interested in using Medicaid data to further understand the causes of obstructive sleep apnea, dementia, and mortality among individuals with Down syndrome. We hope that the results of this study will help clinicians create guidelines for treatment, researchers create interventions, and advocates perform public health messaging and policy change.

Our aims are to 

  1. Assess epidemiology and social determinants of obstructive sleep apnea, dementia, and mortality 
  2. Use machine learning to identify novel predictors for obstructive sleep apnea, dementia, and mortality