New Approach To Alzheimer's?

A new molecule, which acts by increasing acetylcholine release from cholinergic neurons, may be a better approach to treating memory impairment than drugs such as Warner-Lambert's Cognex (tacrine), which facilitate cholinergic transmission by preventing enzymatic ACh breakdown at the synapse, according to an article in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Peripheral injections of BIBN-99, developed by Karl Thomae GmbH of Germany, facilitated the cognitive performance of aged memory-impaired animals, according to Remi Quirion of McGill University's Douglas Hospital Research Center in Montreal, Canada. BIBN-99 is a muscarinic M2 receptor blocker.

In the new study, the researchers measured the ability of old rats to remember the location of a submerged platform in a large pool of opaque water. Since the rats cannot see the platform, they must solve the task using spatial clues provided in the testing room. The first stage of the study involved identifying those animals with memory impairment and examining markers for ACh in areas of the brain thought to be involved in learning and memory, such as the hippocampus.