Choline During Pregnancy Improves Downs Syndrome

ITHACA, N.Y.Pregnant and nursing mothers who supplement their diets with choline, a key nutrient found in egg yolks, liver and cauliflower, may be providing lifelong "dramatic" health benefits to people with Down syndrome, according to a new study from Cornell University that was published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience. The work indicated greater maternal levels of the essential nutrient also could protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

"We found that supplementing the maternal diet with additional choline resulted in dramatic improvements in attention and some normalization of emotion regulation in a mouse model of Down syndrome," said lead author Barbara Strupp, professor of nutritional sciences and of psychology.

In addition to mental retardation, Down syndrome individuals often experience dementia in middle age as a result of brain neuron atrophy similar to that suffered by people with Alzheimer's disease. Strupp said the improved mental abilities found in the Down syndrome mice following maternal choline supplements could indicate protection from such neurodegeneration "in the population at large."

The researchers tested Down syndrome-model mice born from mothers that were fed a normal diet versus those given choline supplements during their three-week pregnancy and three-week lactation period. They also examined normal mice born from mothers with and without additional choline. The choline-supplemented mothers received about 4.5 times more choline (roughly comparable to levels at the higher range of human intake) than unsupplemented mothers.

Beginning at six months of age, the mice performed a series of behavioral tasks over a period of about six months to assess their impulsivity, attention span, emotional control and other mental abilities. The researchers found the unsupplemented Down syndrome-model mice became more agitated after a mistake than normal mice, jumping repeatedly and taking longer to initiate the next trial. The choline-supplemented Down syndrome-model mice showed partial improvement in these areas.