Video: New study to help children with Down syndrome

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BELLEVUE, Wash. - Can children with Down syndrome improve their ability to learn by taking an Alzheimer's drug?

It's a question local researchers are hoping to answer, and they're looking for help from families in Western Washington.

Twelve-year-old Joey Kane can keep up with his peers on the basketball court, but keeping up in school is a different story. Joey has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes learning deficits and health problems. But it hasn't stopped his determination to succeed in his mainstream sixth grade class.

"If the homework's an hour he'll spend at least two, probably three," said Ginny Kane, his mother.

Ginny Kane says her son reached all his developmental milestones such as walking and talking later than most kids.

"The sort of rule of thumb seemed to be that it took him about twice as long," she said.

Now she's hoping there may be a way to help him in his struggle to keep up. She enrolled Joey in a study of an Alzheimer's drug called Aricept.

The drug's maker believes it may help children like him. People with Down syndrome often develop Alzheimer's disease decades earlier than others.

"It has helped people with Alzheimer's, their cognitive functioning, so their memory seems to be better, their problem solving's better, their communications skills are supposed to be better," she said.

Psychiatrist Dr. Arif Khan heads the study in Bellevue. It's one of several sites around the U.S. 

KING

Twelve-year-old Joey Kane can keep up with his peers on the basketball court, but keeping up in school is a different story.

He says children with Down syndrome ages 10 to 17 are eligible. They'll take simple cognitive tests, and parents will fill out questionnaires.

The children will take either Aricept, or a placebo for 10 weeks.

He says researchers aren't trying to increase a child's IQ, but something else.

"What it would look like, the child would be expected to become more social, more verbal, be able to solve problems much better, be more independent, not be as dependent on the family," he said.

Those are things Ginny Kane wants for her son.

Aricept has been used by adults for over a decade. Still the children in the study will be medically evaluated and monitored to be sure its safe for them.