Abstract
Considerable evidence has been provided these last years for the involvement of the GABA-A receptor complex in memory processes. Compounds that enhance the action of GABA, such as benzodiazepines, impair memory processing. On the contrary, compounds that reduce the action of GABA, such as ß-CCM, pentylenetetrazol or picrotoxin, have the opposite action, that is : enhance memory processing. All these actions seem to focus mainly on the acquisition (learning) processes. Depending on the dose, the same compounds also have effects on anxiety and on seizuring. Benzodiazepines are well-known anxiolytic and anticonvulsant agents whereas compounds that reduce the action of GABA have been found to produce anxiogenic and convulsant actions. The GABA-A receptor complex might thus be the location of a possible link between a pathological state (epilepsy) and two normal functions (anxiety and learning). This link is likely to involve common genetic pathways. In the normal subject, these data also emphasize the idea that normal memory processing involves a moderate level of anxiety.
Keywords: gaba receptor complex, pentylenetetrazol, picrotoxin, learning, anxiety, epilepsy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: GABA-A Receptor Complex and Memory Processes
Volume: 2 Issue: 8
Author(s): Georges Chapouthier and Patrice Venault
Affiliation:
Keywords: gaba receptor complex, pentylenetetrazol, picrotoxin, learning, anxiety, epilepsy
Abstract: Considerable evidence has been provided these last years for the involvement of the GABA-A receptor complex in memory processes. Compounds that enhance the action of GABA, such as benzodiazepines, impair memory processing. On the contrary, compounds that reduce the action of GABA, such as ß-CCM, pentylenetetrazol or picrotoxin, have the opposite action, that is : enhance memory processing. All these actions seem to focus mainly on the acquisition (learning) processes. Depending on the dose, the same compounds also have effects on anxiety and on seizuring. Benzodiazepines are well-known anxiolytic and anticonvulsant agents whereas compounds that reduce the action of GABA have been found to produce anxiogenic and convulsant actions. The GABA-A receptor complex might thus be the location of a possible link between a pathological state (epilepsy) and two normal functions (anxiety and learning). This link is likely to involve common genetic pathways. In the normal subject, these data also emphasize the idea that normal memory processing involves a moderate level of anxiety.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Chapouthier Georges and Venault Patrice, GABA-A Receptor Complex and Memory Processes, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2002; 2 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568026023393552
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568026023393552 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Could Event Related Potentials be a Key Prognostic Biomarker of
Alzheimer’s Disease?
Current Alzheimer Research New Prospects for the Drug Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder — A Systematic Review
Current Drug Therapy Occurrence of DAT1 (VNTR) Polymorphism in Individuals with HIV Infection
Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Brain-Delivery of Zinc-Ions as Potential Treatment for Neurological Diseases: Mini Review
Drug Delivery Letters Endophenotypes and Biological Markers of Schizophrenia: From Biological Signs of Illness to Novel Treatment Targets
Current Pharmaceutical Design Structure Activity Relationships of Novel Antiepileptic Drugs
Current Medicinal Chemistry Synthesis and Anticonvulsant Activity of 7-Alkoxy-Triazolo-[3, 4-b] Benzo[d]Thiazoles
Medicinal Chemistry Melatonin Receptor Agonists: SAR and Applications to the Treatment of Sleep-Wake Disorders
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Cyclooxygenase-2 in Synaptic Signaling
Current Pharmaceutical Design Yoga can Alter the Autonomic Neural Activity: A Critical Analysis
Current Traditional Medicine Therapeutic Potential of Agonists and Antagonists of A1, A2a, A2b and A3 Adenosine Receptors
Current Pharmaceutical Design Predict Drug-Protein Interaction in Cellular Networking
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry NMDA Receptors and Learning and Memory Processes
Current Drug Targets Involvement of Potassium and Chloride Channels and Other Transporters in Volume Regulation by Spermatozoa
Current Pharmaceutical Design Nanotechnology in Neuroscience and its Perspective as Gene Carrier
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in the Treatment of Schizophrenia
Current Pharmaceutical Design Histone Post-translational Modifications in Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design A Salicylic Acid-Based Analogue Discovered from Virtual Screening as a Potent Inhibitor of Human 20α-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase
Medicinal Chemistry Unique Medicinal Properties of Withania somnifera: Phytochemical Constituents and Protein Component
Current Pharmaceutical Design Focus on MicroRNAs as Biomarker in Pediatric Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design