Cough Syrup Down Syndrome Treatment: Study Results

According to researchers from Monash University, the BTD-001 – an ingredient in cough syrup which was first discovered in the 1920s – could improve the memory, language and learning of people with Down Syndrome.

Associate Professor Bob Davis, who is the head of the centre for Developmental Disability Health at Monash University, says throughout the last century BTD-001 has been prescribed for everything from persistent coughs to Alzheimer’s disease.

“In the 1950s and 60s it was used … as an ingredient for a drug for people with dementia,” he said.

“People with dementia seemed to improve their memory and … cognitive ability, so the ability to think.

“At that stage the medication had been shown to be safe and while there were some small studies indicating that it seemed to work, it didn’t have the large drug trials that are required nowadays.”

Since then, Prof Davis says it has been established that BTD-001 improves the conductivity of the nerves in the brain.

He says a US research foundation discovered that in comparison to the general population, the nerves in people with Down Syndrome have less conductivity and a diminished ability to store information.

His study, which is based in Australia and New Zealand, is aimed at identifying how memory and cognitive ability is affected by the medication.

VIA ABC