Improving cognitive function of people with Down syndrome

The Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute is leading the study that will evaluate whether a new molecule can be used to improve cognitive performance in people with Down syndrome. 

The study is part of the ICOD (Improving Cognition in Down Syndrome), promoted by the European Union within the framework of the Horizon 2020 R&D funding program, with a grant of six million euros. The IMIM-Hospital de Mar team is led by Dr. Rafael de la Torre, and its ultimate goal is to achieve a treatment that improves the working memory of people with Down syndrome, a key cognitive deficit in this pathology. Working memory refers to language comprehension, reading, mathematical skills, learning and reasoning. 

The treatment has already passed the trial phase with volunteers without Down syndrome, which was intended to certify the safety and tolerability of the drug. 

This new phase will validate the safety of the treatment in people with Down syndrome and will provide the first indications of efficacy. It is estimated that the results could be available by mid-2023. This is the first study to analyse the feasibility of a new type of approach in this field.