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Journal of Intellectual Disabilities
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The cholinergic system in Down's syndrome

Vincenzo Fodale

Federica Mafrica

Vincenzo Caminiti

University of Messina,Italy

Giovanni Grasso

University of Palermo,Italy

The cholinergic system is one of the most important modulatory neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Alterations of the transmission communicators are accompanied by reduction of the cortical activity, which is associated with a learning and memory deficit. Down's syndrome is a pathological condition characterized by a high number of abnormalities that involve the brain.The cholinergic system is involved in alterations of the neurological system such as severe learning difficulties.To explain these alterations, important results are obtained from studies about murine trisomy 16 (animal model of Down's syndrome).The results obtained provide useful elements in the improvement of knowledge about the neurological and neurotransmissional alterations that are responsible for the neurobiological characteristics of Down's syndrome.These data potentially justify, in these patients, the therapeutic use of drugs that are principally administered to improve the severe learning difficulties of people with Alzheimer's disease, and suggest a trend which generates a hypothesis worthy of further exploration.

Key Words: brain • cholinergic system • Down's syndrome • intellectual disabilities

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, Vol. 10, No. 3, 261-274 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1744629506067615
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