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Recently, information from nationally televised programs and mass mailings has suggested that children with Down syndrome may benefit from treatment with amino acid supplements and a drug known as Piracetam. Piracetam is a psychoactive drug that some believe may improve cognitive function, but this theory has not been clinically tested. The American College of Medical Genetics has most recently announced that it is not aware of any definitive scientific proof that either treatment is beneficial.
The National Down Syndrome Society does not recommend the use of drugs that have not undergone rigorous research for individuals with Down syndrome. An appropriate scientific study must be a blind trial that compares results in individuals who have taken the drug with individuals who have been given a placebo. Such studies have not been done for Piracetam.
Because of the absence of solid scientific research to support the efficacy of these therapies and the lack of approval by the Food and Drug Administration for the sale of Piracetam in the United States, the National Down Syndrome Society does not recommend the use of Piracetam for children with Down syndrome.
The National Down Syndrome Society supports the American College of Medical Genetics' call for establishing well-designed randomized trials of each of these modalities to determine what, if any, benefits they may offer to children with Down syndrome.
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