Abstract
Nicotinic α7 receptors have been shown in a variety of studies with animal models to play important roles in diverse components of cognitive function, including learning, memory and attention. Mice with α7 receptor knockouts show impairments in memory. Selective α7 agonists significantly improve learning, memory and attention. α7 receptors in limbic structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala have been demonstrated to play critical roles in memory. Blockade of α7 receptors in these areas cause memory impairments. In the brains of people with schizophrenia α7 receptors are impaired. This may be related to pronounced cognitive impairments seen with schizophrenia. There has been a major effort to develop α7 nicotinic agonists for helping to reverse cognitive impairment. These receptors are a promising target for development of therapeutic treatments for a variety of diseases of cognitive impairment including Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.
Keywords: α7-Nicotinic Receptors, memory, learning, attention, cognition, α7 agonist, deficit models, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia
Current Drug Targets
Title:α7-Nicotinic Receptors and Cognition
Volume: 13 Issue: 5
Author(s): Edward D. Levin
Affiliation:
Keywords: α7-Nicotinic Receptors, memory, learning, attention, cognition, α7 agonist, deficit models, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia
Abstract: Nicotinic α7 receptors have been shown in a variety of studies with animal models to play important roles in diverse components of cognitive function, including learning, memory and attention. Mice with α7 receptor knockouts show impairments in memory. Selective α7 agonists significantly improve learning, memory and attention. α7 receptors in limbic structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala have been demonstrated to play critical roles in memory. Blockade of α7 receptors in these areas cause memory impairments. In the brains of people with schizophrenia α7 receptors are impaired. This may be related to pronounced cognitive impairments seen with schizophrenia. There has been a major effort to develop α7 nicotinic agonists for helping to reverse cognitive impairment. These receptors are a promising target for development of therapeutic treatments for a variety of diseases of cognitive impairment including Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.
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Cite this article as:
Edward D. Levin , α7-Nicotinic Receptors and Cognition , Current Drug Targets 2012; 13 (5) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138945012800398937
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138945012800398937 |
Print ISSN 1389-4501 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5592 |
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