Title:
Alzheimer’s Drugs May Help Down Syndrome SUGGESTED LEAD: CAN YOU RAISE THE IQ OF A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME? NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT
ONE DAY, THE ANSWER COULD BE YES WITH THE HELP OF MEDICINE APPROVED FOR ALZHEIMER’S
PATIENTS. CONNECT WITH KIDS HAS THE STORY. NARR: GAVIN IS WALKING AND PLAYING, JUST LIKE OTHER ONE-YEAR-OLDS. BUT…. (:05) SUPER: Jessica Cook, Mother (:06) “With Down Syndrome you don’t know. You don’t know what level they are going to go to. He could stay age two the rest of his life.” NARR: SCIENTISTS ARE STUDYING THE ALZHEIMER’S DRUG ARICEPT (AIR-ih-sept) —TO SEE IF IT CAN HELP KIDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME. (:07) SUPER: Myles Cook, Father (:18) “And our goal for Gavin is for him to be a self reliant human being. And if it takes a pill to do that, more power to him.” NARR: RESEARCHERS AT DUKE UNIVERSITY TRACKED SEVEN KIDS WHO TOOK ARICEPT FOR SIX MONTHS. THEY SAY THE CHILDREN BEGAN USING A LARGER VOCABULARY, AND MORE COMPLEX SENTENCES. (:11) SUPER: Dr. Leslie Rubin, MD, Developmental Pediatrician (:38) “This is very promising for children with Down Syndrome, and we need to see a lot more before we will be prescribing it routinely.” NARR: THE KIDS IN THE STUDY HAD THE AVERAGE MENTAL AGE OF A FOUR YEAR OLD. AFTER TAKING THE DRUG….THE MENTAL AGE INCREASED BY SEVEN MONTHS. (:08) SOT: Myles Cook, Father (:59) “At one step you want to rush out, sign your kid up and say, ‘If this is going to help my son…Help him! But you have to step back and go, ‘What are the risks?” NARR: AND THAT’S NOT THE ONLY QUESTION DOCTORS CANNOT ANSWER. WILL THE GAINS BE PERMANENT? WILL TAKING THE DRUG LONGER, LEAD TO MORE IMPROVEMENT? (:09) SOT: Dr. Leslie Rubin, MD (1:17) “Or do they just have one level of benefit and then they don’t benefit any more?” NARR: DOCTORS SAY THEY NEED TO DO MORE STUDIES, ON A LARGER NUMBER OF KIDS. (:05) SOT: Myles Cook (1:28) “I don’t want my child used like a guinea pig where they are poked and prodded. But, if it’s a well-monitored, well-placed controlled study…absolutely… absolutely.” I’M COLLIN SIEDOR, FOR CONNECT WITH KIDS. (:03)SUGGESTED TAG: RESEARCHERS ARE ALSO TESTING THE ALZHEIMER’S DRUG EXELON TO SEE IF IT TOO, CAN HELP CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME.
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