Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial.

Background: Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder with considerable neurodevelopmental impact and neurodegenerative morbidity. In a pilot trial in young adults with Down syndrome, memantine (a drug approved for Alzheimer's disease) showed a significant effect on a secondary measure of episodic memory. We aimed to test whether memantine would improve episodic memory in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome.

On the Design of Broad-Based Neuropsychological Test Batteries to Assess the Cognitive Abilities of Individuals with Down Syndrome in the Context of Clinical Trials.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetically-defined cause of intellectual disability. Neurodevelopmental deficits displayed by individuals with DS are generally global, however, disproportionate deficits in cognitive processes that depend heavily on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are also well documented. Additionally, DS is associated with relative strengths in visual processing and visuospatial short-term memory, and weaknesses in the verbal domain.