Summary

Original source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4498652.stm

Details

• A team at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London found people with Down's syndrome have higher levels of myo-inositol in their brains.
• They also found increased levels of this molecule are associated with reduced intellectual ability.
• The researchers also suspect that high levels of myo-inositol could play a role in predisposing people with Down syndrome to early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
• Once they reach the age of 40, almost all people with Down's syndrome show the brain characteristics of Alzheimer's disease - though they do not all go on to develop dementia.
• Lead researcher Professor Declan Murphy said: "We have shown in this study that adults with Down's syndrome have a significantly higher concentration of myo-inositol in the hippocampal region of their brains, and this increase is associated with a reduced cognitive ability.
• It is caused when a child has three copies of chromosome 21, rather than the usual two.
• The latest research has shown that one of the genes on chromosome 21 controls production of a protein that pumps the molecule myo-inositol into the brain.
• The increased levels of myo-inositol in the brains of people with Down's syndrome could be explained by the fact that these people have an extra copy of the gene that makes this pump.
• The Down's Syndrome Association said it welcomed any research that may have a beneficial effect on the lives of people with the condition.
• In a statement, the charity said: "We are very pleased that scientists are producing results that help us to understand the reasons behind Down's syndrome's associated learning disability.
• "However, the Institute of Psychiatry's research does not herald a 'cure' for the condition, and any treatment available is still a long way in the future."

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