New on Down Syndrome Online

Folate metabolism and the risk of Down syndrome

Folate is an important vitamin that contributes to cell division and growth and is therefore of particular importance during infancy and pregnancy. Folate deficiency has been associated with slowed growth, anaemia, weight loss, digestive disorders and some behavioural issues. Adequate folate intake around the time of conception and early pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain problems including neural tube defects. It has been suggested that certain versions (polymorphisms) of some genes can increase the risk of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome. If this is the case, then people with Down syndrome may be more likely to carry these forms of these genes and to experience associated problems in folate metabolism. Studies to date have found conflicting results, suggesting that these gene variants may be part of a more complex picture. In this issue, a further study reports no association between the presence of a common polymorphism of one of these genes and the risk of having a child with Down syndrome among mothers of Northern Indian origin. In this article, David Patterson reviews these challenging findings and looks at where investigations can now go to resolve these issues. Read full text at www.down-syndrome.org/updates/2051

Modelling Down syndrome

Animal models are extensively used in genetics, neuroscience and biomedical research. In this article, Frank Buckley describves recent studies that illustrate the usefulness and the challenges of research utilising genetically engineered mice to explore the developmental biology of Down syndrome. These studies highlight many of the issues at the centre of what we understand about Down syndrome, and may one day point to useful ways to improve quality of life for people living with Down syndrome. Full text available at www.down-syndrome.org/updates/2054

The power of behavioural approaches – we need a revivial

Behavioural approaches can be used very effectively to teach new skills and to change behaviours that are challenging and not socially adaptive. In this article, Sue Buckley darws on several studies to argue that whilst these approaches may have gone out of fashion, they should be revived. Full text available at www.down-syndrome.org/updates/2038

It is time to take memory training seriously

It has been known for a long while that children with Down syndrome have specific impairments in verbal shortterm memory. In this Update article, Sue Buckley describes research that indicates that memory training activities may be effective. Full text available at www.down-syndrome.org/updates/2092

Drug treatment improves memory in mice

Mice that carry additional copies of genes comparable to those present on human chromosome 21 have been shown to perform better on memory tests when treated with drugs that target brain function. Could this be an important break-through in the search for pharmacological therapies to assist people with Down syndrome?

doi:10.3104/updates.2037

Increasing opportunities for physical activity

Being physically active can have a number of benefits – having fun, meeting with friends, keeping healthy and experiencing success. For children with Down syndrome the foundations need to be laid early if they are to keep active in school, teenage and adult years and parents ask for more help in this area from professionals.

doi:10.3104/updates.2033

Oral health problems and quality of life

There is a higher incidence of oral health problems among individuals with Down syndrome, particulary after 10 years of age, indicating a need for better teaching of teeth brushing and more regular visits to the dentist. Do these oral health problems affect their quality of life?

doi:10.3104/updates.2049

Teeth grinding

Teeth grinding turns out to be no more common in children with Down syndrome than it is in other children and it reduces with age. These are reassuring findings as teeth grinding can be quite an annoying problem at home and at school.

doi:10.3104/updates.2048

Shaping speech

Clear speech can often be challenging for people with Down syndrome. The shape of the hard palate in the top of the mouth influences speech production. A new paper reports detailed measures of the shape and size of the hard palate among children with Down syndrome.

doi:10.3104/updates.2050

Teaching numeracy

Understanding number concepts and basic mathematical skills is important for many everyday activities in modern societies. Little is understood about the numeracy abilities of people with Down syndrome. At present, it appears that numeracy is an area of relative difficulty and that progress with more complex mathematical understanding is slow. However, some teaching approaches that seek to utilise certain relative strengths to communicate number concepts seem to be useful in practice. Further research is needed to define the precise difficulties experienced by children with Down syndrome and to evaluate teaching strategies.

doi:10.3104/updates.2031