Great news in Cognitive Down Syndrome Rearch.

There has been a tremendous breakthrough in Down syndrome cognitive research. Using mice with a version of Down syndrome, they have successfully treated some of the hyper-stimulation of the brain which impairs their ability to think and communicate. NO side effects!

 Roche scientists and their collaborators corrected cognitive and behavioral deficits in Ts65Dn mice. They also showed that treatment with RO4938581 improved abnormalities of nerve cell number and function in adult Ts65Dn mouse brains. Together, these data demonstrate that selectively modulating GABA-A receptors in key regions of the brain results in major cognitive and behavioral improvements. These positive findings occur without unwanted side effects that have limited the use of non-selective GABA-A receptor blockers

Why should you be excited if you love someone with Down syndrome?

“Our drug research in Down syndrome may offer a novel therapeutic avenue to treat the cognitive deficits in people with Down syndrome, enhance their communications skills and ultimately help them have greater independence in their daily lives,” said Luca Santarelli, Head of Neuroscience at Roche.

I love my ten year old Christina as she is, but only my family can understand her attempts to communicate, and she wants to reach out and make friends, and will eventually want to find her place in this world. Helping her brain function best will enable her to communicate and achieve her dreams.  
Read the entire article here.