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Index
Reviews
Original reviews of progress and developments in research and practice.
Research Directions Reviews Series
Advance Online Publication copies
of Reviews from the
first Research Directions Symposium are now available.
These include reviews by many of the world's leading authorities on the development
of people with Down syndrome and covert topics including speech and language, literacy
and reading, learning and memory, early intervention and families.
The Down Syndrome Research Directions Symposium 2007 brought together a
multidisciplinary group of leading scientists, active in research into Down syndrome
and related issues. The symposium reviewed current understanding of Down syndrome
and identified promising future research directions.
The symposium was hosted by Down Syndrome Education
International in association with the Anna and John J Sie Foundation and
with the generous support of the Down Syndrome Foundation
of Orange County (USA) and the National Down Syndrome
Society (USA).
Literacy skills
Reading is often a strength for young people with Down syndrome, yet not every child
with Down syndrome excels at reading, nor are the optimal teaching methods clear.
This Review by Maggie Snowling and colleagues at the
University of York, UK, looks at a number of the challenges facing research on literacy
development for children with Down syndrome. It then examines what research to date
suggests about literacy skills, effective interventions and where future research
directions lie.
This Review is part of the
Research Directions Symposium Series, examining our current understanding
of Down syndrome and identifying future directions for research to improve the lives
of people with Down syndrome.
The challenges and potential of using mouse models in Down syndrome
research
Mouse models are a standard tool in the study of
many human diseases, providing insights into the normal functions of a gene,
how these are altered in disease and how they contribute to a disease
process, as well as information on drug action, efficacy and side effects.
Our knowledge of human genes, their genetics, functions, interactions and
biochemistry, has dramatically improved over the last few years. Recently,
several different drugs have been shown to rescue learning and memory
deficits in a major mouse model of Down syndrome.
This Review by Katheleen Gardiner
looks at
the challenges inherent in using mouse models in
Down syndrome research and then describes the
successful molecular/genetic interventions that are
cause for cautious optimism. The paper also predicts
critical molecular abnormalities that can be tested
for relevance to learning and memory and that are
potential targets of existing pharmacotherapeutics.
This Review is part of the
Research Directions Symposium Series, examining our current understanding
of Down syndrome and identifying future directions for research to improve the lives
of people with Down syndrome.