Down syndrome is a condition where a child is born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome. Effects can include delays in speech and development, attention problems, sleep difficulties, delays in cognition and stubbornness & tantrums.
There are 3 main types of down syndrome: trisomy 21, where there’s an extra copy of the 21st chromosome in every cell; mosaicism, where the extra chromosome copies only affect some cells; and translocation, where children have only an extra part of chromosome 21. Each year, about 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome.
Researchers have found that people with Down syndrome have excessive endocannabinoid receptor activity in the hippocampus. Blocking off this excessive activity may be helpful in improving cognitive function in those with Down syndrome. Cannabis may also be able to help by protecting people from amyloid plaques, which has been linked to cognitive deficits in those with Alzheimer’s as well.
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