Acute effects of the selective cholinergic channel activator (nicotinic agonist) ABT-418 in Alzheimer’s disease (original) (raw)

Abstract

To explore further the potential for cognitive enhancement utilizing nicotinic stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), six otherwise healthy subjects with moderate AD received placebo and three doses (6, 12, and 23 mg) of the novel selective cholinergic channel activator (ChCA) (nicotinic agonist) ABT-418 over 6 h in a double-blind, within-subjects, repeated-measures design. Subjects showed significant improvements in total recall and a decline in recall failure on a verbal learning task. Qualitatively similar improvements were seen in non-verbal learning tasks such as spatial learning and memory, and repeated acquisition. No significant behavioral, vital sign, or physical side effects were seen. These results confirm that stimulating central nicotinic receptors has acute cognitive benefit in AD patients. These findings suggest that selective ChCAs have a potential therapeutic role in dementing disorders, and that further studies with this or similar agents in AD and/or Parkinson’s disease are warranted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 1 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA e-mail: pnewhous@zoo.uvm.edu, Fax: +1-802-656-7889, , , , , , US
    Alexandra Potter, Jason Lang, Melissa Piasecki & P. A. Newhouse
  2. Department of Psychiatry, New York Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA, , , , , , US
    June Corwin
  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, , , , , , US
    Robert Lenox

Authors

  1. Alexandra Potter
  2. June Corwin
  3. Jason Lang
  4. Melissa Piasecki
  5. Robert Lenox
  6. P. A. Newhouse

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Received: 27 February 1998/Final version: 9 September 1998

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Potter, A., Corwin, J., Lang, J. et al. Acute effects of the selective cholinergic channel activator (nicotinic agonist) ABT-418 in Alzheimer’s disease.Psychopharmacology 142, 334–342 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130050897

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