a-85380 and Cognition-Disorders

Enhancement of cholinergic function via nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (nAChR) agonism is a potential approach for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS). Some atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) enhance ACh release in rodent brain, indirectly stimulating these receptors. Here, we elucidate which nAChR subtypes mediate novel object recognition (NOR) in normal rats and contribute to the ability of the AAPD, lurasidone, to improve the NOR deficit in sub-chronic (sc) phencyclidine (PCP)-treated rats, a model for CIAS.. The ability of lurasidone and nAChR ligands to reverse the scPCP-induced deficit in NOR was assessed in female, Long-Evans rats.. The broad acting nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine (MEC), induced a NOR deficit in normal rats. The NOR deficit secondary to scPCP was reversed by either selective α4β2* nAChR agonism (A-85380) or α7 nAChRs agonism (PNU-282987); these effects were blocked by DHβE and MLA, selective antagonists of α4β2* and α7 nAChR, respectively. The ability of lurasidone to reverse the scPCP-induced NOR deficit was blocked by MEC, but not MLA or DHβE. However, sub-effective doses (SED) of either A-85380 or PNU-282987 potentiated the ability of SED lurasidone to reverse the scPCP-induced NOR deficit.. These results identify both α4β2* and α7 nAChRs as candidates for enhancing the ability of lurasidone and other AAPDs, which increase the release of ACh, to improve CIAS.

Topics: alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; Animals; Azetidines; Benzamides; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; Cognition Disorders; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Lurasidone Hydrochloride; Mecamylamine; Nicotinic Agonists; Nicotinic Antagonists; Nootropic Agents; Phencyclidine; Random Allocation; Rats, Long-Evans; Receptors, Nicotinic

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) is characterized by the clinical motor symptoms of hypokinesia, rigidity, and tremor. Apart from these motor symptoms, cognitive deficits often occur in IPD. The positive effect of cholinesterase inhibitors on cognitive deficits in IPD and findings of earlier molecular imaging studies suggest that the cholinergic system plays an important role in the origin of cognitive decline in IPD.. Twenty-five non-demented patients with IPD underwent a 5-[123I]iodo-3-[2(S)-2-azetidinylmethoxy]pyridine (5-I-A-85380) SPECT to visualize α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchR) and cognitive testing with the CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) battery to identify domains of cognitive dysfunction.. In the CERAD, the IPD patients exhibited deficits in non-verbal memory, attention, psychomotor velocity, visuoconstructive ability, and executive functions. After Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, we found significant correlations between performance of the CERAD subtests Boston Naming Test (a specific test for visual perception and for detection of word-finding difficulties) and Word List Intrusions (a specific test for learning capacity and memory for language information) vs binding of α4β2 nAchR in cortical (the right superior parietal lobule) and subcortical areas (the left thalamus, the left posterior subcortical region, and the right posterior subcortical region).. These significant correlations between the results of the CERAD subtests and the cerebral α4β2 nAchR density, as assessed by 5-I-A-85380 SPECT, indicate that cerebral cholinergic pathways are relevant to cognitive processing in IPD.

Topics: Aged; Azetidines; Cognition Disorders; Female; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Parkinson Disease; Radiopharmaceuticals; Receptors, Nicotinic; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Extensive experimental and neuropathological evidence supports the general hypothesis that decline in the basal forebrain cholinergic system contributes significantly to age-related cognitive impairment. Postmortem studies suggest reductions in neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs, particularly the alpha(4)beta(2) subtype) with aging. This study aimed to determine the distribution of alpha(4)beta(2)-subtype nAChRs in vivo by 2-FA PET in healthy subjects (aged 21-83) and to establish whether there is an age-related decline in nAChRs. Furthermore, the relationship between PET measures of 2-FA binding and neurobehavioral measures of cognitive function was investigated. All participants were nonsmokers and underwent extensive cognitive testing and a PET scan after injection of 2-FA (200 MBq). Brain regional 2-FA binding was assessed through a simplified estimation of distribution volume (DV(S)). As expected, increasing age was associated with poorer cognitive performance, particularly on tasks assessing episodic memory and attentional processes. No significant age-related differences in regional nAChR DV(S) were found. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between cognitive measures and nAChR DV(S). These results are consistent with recent studies suggesting the stability of cholinergic markers during senescence. It is plausible that changes in alpha(4)beta(2) nAChRs do occur with advancing age, but are beyond detection by the clinical 2-FA PET approach adopted here. However, this approach may be appropriate for use in pathologies considered to undergo extensive nAChR loss such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Azetidines; Binding, Competitive; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cognition Disorders; Female; Fluorine Radioisotopes; Humans; Male; Memory Disorders; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Positron-Emission Tomography; Receptors, Nicotinic; Young Adult