Stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine alpha7 receptors rescue schizophrenia-like cognitive impairments in rats

anon79999497 · February 9, 2017, 12:52pm

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine alpha7 receptors rescue schizophrenia-like cognitive impairments in rats.

A Potasiewicz, A Nikiforuk, M Hołuj and P Popik, Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 2017 02

Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) dysfunction plays an important role in schizophrenia. Positive allosteric modulators of α7 nAChR have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to manage cognitive deficits that are inadequately treated in schizophrenic patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of type I (CCMI) and type II (PNU120596) α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulators to counteract MK-801-induced cognitive and sensorimotor gating deficits. The activity of these compounds was compared with the action of the α7 nAChR agonist A582941. CCMI, PNU120596 and A582941 reversed the sensorimotor gating impairment evoked by MK-801 based on the prepulse inhibition of the startle response. Additionally, no MK-801-evoked working memory deficits were observed with α7 nAChR ligand pretreatment as assessed in a discrete paired-trial delayed alternation task. However, these compounds did not affect the rats' attentional performances in the five-choice serial reaction time test. The α7 nAChR agents demonstrated a beneficial effect on sensorimotor gating and some aspects of cognition tested in a rat model of schizophrenia. Therefore, these results support the use of α7 nAChR positive allosteric modulators as a potential treatment strategy in schizophrenia.

Chess24 · February 9, 2017, 1:29pm

Any research pertaining to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia is very welcome.

far_cry0 · February 9, 2017, 1:33pm

Yes we need something for negative symptoms.

anon11056724 · February 9, 2017, 5:17pm

How far away from daylight is this med?

InnerCircle · February 10, 2017, 12:16am

Isn’t one other drug in this category (Galantamine) targeting α7nACh-R already on the market, but showed mixed results for cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia?

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Galantamine improves cognition in schizophrenic patients stabilized on risperidone.

MH Schubert, KA Young and PB Hicks, Biological psychiatry, Sep 2006 15

Cognition in schizophrenia is impaired in a variety of cognitive domains. Galantamine, a cholinesterase inhibitor with putative nicotinic agonist-like effects, improves cognition in Alzheimer's patients.Sixteen schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients stabilized on risperidone were administered galantamine (n=8) or placebo (n=8) in a randomized, double-blind trial. The Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) assessed changes in cognitive performance over an eight-week treatment interval.Clinical symptoms improved in both groups during the trial with no evidence that galantamine exacerbated extrapyramidal symptoms. Patients treated with galantamine experienced an overall improvement in cognitive performance (RBANS Total scale score; galantamine = 12.1 +/- 12.8 SD, placebo = .5 +/- 13.5, t = 2.32, p < .04). Confidence intervals suggest that RBANS Attention and Delayed Memory subscale performance was robustly improved in galantamine patients by approximately one standard deviation, effectively normalizing cognitive performance in these domains.Adjunctive treatment with galantamine improves memory and attention in patients with schizophrenia who are stabilized on risperidone, providing the opportunity to improve functional outcome in these patients.

anon11056724 · February 10, 2017, 2:00am

Thanks but if it was any good in pretty sure I would have been put on it by now