A new study has revealed that drugs used to treat certain mental health conditions may be linked to improved cognitive performance in people with Down Syndrome. The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, suggest that drugs such as risperidone and aripiprazole, which are commonly prescribed to people with Down Syndrome, may be beneficial to their cognitive abilities.

The study focused on 51 individuals with Down Syndrome, aged between 8 and 25 years old. The participants were given either risperidone or aripiprazole for six months, and their cognitive performance was assessed both before and after the drug treatment.

After the six-month period, the researchers found that the participants who had taken the drugs showed significant improvements in their cognitive performance compared to those who had not taken the drugs. In particular, the participants who had taken the drugs showed improvements in their executive functioning, which is the ability to plan, organize and complete tasks.

These results suggest that drugs commonly prescribed to people with Down Syndrome may be beneficial to their cognitive abilities. While more research is needed to confirm the findings, this study provides a promising indication that such drugs may be useful in improving cognitive performance in people with Down Syndrome.

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source: Phys.org