Down syndrome: Chemical boosts learning ability

WASHINGTON: Increasing the levels of a message-carrying chemical in the brains of sufferers of Down Syndrome could help reverse the condition, which is the most common cause of mental retardation in children, a study showed on Wednesday.

"If you intervene early enough, you will be able to help kids with Down Syndrome to collect and modulate information," said Ahmad Salehi, the lead author of the study, which was published in Science Translational Medicine.

"Theoretically, that could lead to an improvement in cognitive functions in these kids," he said.