brexpiprazole and Cognition-Disorders

Cognitive impairment, including impaired social cognition, is largely responsible for the deterioration in social life suffered by patients with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). Brexpiprazole (7-{4-[4-(1-benzothiophen-4-yl)piperazin-1-yl]butoxy}quinolin-2(1H)-one), a novel serotonin-dopamine activity modulator, was developed to offer efficacious and tolerable therapy for different psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and adjunctive treatment of MDD. In this study, we investigated whether brexpiprazole could improve social recognition deficits (one of social cognition deficits) in mice, after administration of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine). Dosing with dizocilpine (0.1mg/kg) induced significant impairment of social recognition in mice. Brexpiprazole (0.01, 0.03, 0.1mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated dizocilpine-induced social recognition deficits, without sedation or a reduction of exploratory behavior. In addition, brexpiprazole alone had no effect on social recognition in untreated control mice. By contrast, neither risperidone (0.03mg/kg, p.o.) nor olanzapine (0.03mg/kg, p.o.) altered dizocilpine-induced social recognition deficits. Finally, the effect of brexpiprazole on dizocilpine-induced social recognition deficits was antagonized by WAY-100,635, a selective serotonin 5-HT1A antagonist. These results suggest that brexpiprazole could improve dizocilpine-induced social recognition deficits via 5-HT1A receptor activation in mice. Therefore, brexpiprazole may confer a beneficial effect on social cognition deficits in patients with psychiatric disorders.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Cognition Disorders; Dizocilpine Maleate; Dopamine Agents; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Quinolones; Recognition, Psychology; Serotonin Agents; Social Behavior; Thiophenes

Brexpiprazole, a serotonin-dopamine activity modulator, is currently being tested in clinical trials as a new therapy for a number of neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Accumulating evidence suggests that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A receptors play a role in cognition. This study was undertaken to examine whether brexpiprazole, a novel drug with 5-HT1A receptor partial agonism, could improve cognitive deficits in mice, induced by repeated administration of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, phencyclidine (PCP). Subsequent subchronic (14 days) oral administration of brexpiprazole (0.3, 1, or 3mg/kg/day) significantly attenuated PCP (10mg/kg/day for 10 days)-induced cognitive deficits in mice, in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of brexpiprazole (3mg/kg) were significantly antagonized by co-administration of the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY-100,635 (1.0mg/kg), although WAY-100,635 alone was not effective in this model. These findings suggest that brexpiprazole can ameliorate PCP-induced cognitive deficits in mice via 5-HT1A receptors. Therefore, brexpiprazole could ameliorate cognitive deficits as seen in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric diseases.

Topics: Animals; Cognition Disorders; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Phencyclidine; Quinolones; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; Receptors, Dopamine; Thiophenes