Down syndrome can result in some pretty awful symptoms. The patient can deal with a short neck, ears that are small or unusually shaped, protruding tongue, poor muscle tone, and more. Therefore, it can become very difficult for a person suffering from the condition to adapt and have a satisfying social life.
GnRH injection therapy is now the new hope when it comes to making Down syndrome patients get their cognitive functions restored. According to EurekAlert, scientists from Lausanne University Hospital have collaborated with an Inserm team at the Lille Neuroscience & Cognition lab to determine the efficacy of the injection in the case of patients who suffer from the condition.
Promising results were obtained
It was found that neurons capable of producing the hormone that releases gonadotropin could also influence other regions of the brain that may have a role in the cognitive process. The scientists studied the mechanism responsible for regulating GnRH in the case of mice suffering from Down syndrome.
It was shown that by restoring the physiological GnRH system function, the cognitive and olfactory functions in the case of trisomic mice could be recovered as well.
To determine the efficacy of the treatment on a “larger scale,” the researchers initiated a pilot clinical trial for seven human patients. These men, all suffering from the Down syndrome, were given a subcutaneous GnRH dose for six months. Six patients out of seven have shown improved cognitive functions. But a definitive conclusion is still yet to come, as more research through a bigger trial is needed.
Inserm Research Director Vincent Prévot said, as EurekAlert! quotes:
Maintaining the GnRH system appears to play a key role in brain maturation and cognitive functions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that in the US alone, one in 6,000 newborns is diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Unfortunately, it’s well-known that Down syndrome usually doesn’t come empty-handed – other health problems can occur for the patient as well, such as ear infections, eye problems, hearing problems, and more.
The new research was published in Science.
