Topic: scopolamine

The self-ordered spatial search (SOSS) task is a touchscreen paradigm probing visuospatial working memory (SWM), that can be applied in non-human primate research in a preclinical translational setting. We examined the performance of the animals in the task on control baseline days and after a transient cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine, a muscarinic acetylcholine-receptor antagonist.Fourteen adult male rhesus monkeys performed the SOSS task daily, in 1-hour sessions with 300-500 trials each. In every trial the animals were shown a set of 4-8 identical cyan squares on a touchscreen,

As part of the preclinical development for novel pharmaceuticals that target the Central Nervous System, regulatory authorities often request an assessment of potential adverse effects on cognitive function.In this study, we examined cognitive function in a group of eight naïve male cynomolgus monkeys using an automated touch screen device (mCANTAB). The aim was to assess its use under regulatory toxicity study conditions, and to characterize its performance in comparison to the Wisconsin General Test Apparatus methodology for object discrimination (Rose et al., 2015). Secondly, we investigate

Cholinergic dysfunction contributes to attentional deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and dementia. Cortical cholinergic inputs are fundamentally linked to attention and phasic acetylcholine (Ach) release causally mediates performance in tasks involving monitoring for cues, cue detection, and cue-directed responding.We investigated the role of muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors (mAChRs and nAChRs) in attentional performance by applying systemic manipulations in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats during the Signal Detection Task. In this task,

The delayed non-match to position task (DNMTP) is a translational instrumental learning paradigm commonly applied preclinically to assess higher executive functions including attention and working memory in rats. In this study, the effects of acute inflammatory challenges were assessed on cognitive performance in the DNMTP task.. Male and female Wistar rats were trained to criteria on the task. Initially, in validating the test, the effect of treatment with the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine (0.02mg/kg, s.c.), known to disrupt performance in the task, was confirmed. Sex differences

Mood disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric diseases and represent the highest level of avoidable health-care cost in first world countries. Nonetheless, the biological foundation of these diseases is only poorly understood despite decades of research. Most clinically used antidepressants target the monoamine system and aim at either raising the levels of monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) in the synaptic cleft through inhibition of reuptake or act on monoaminergic receptors. However, it takes several weeks until an antidepressant eff