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Song L, Pan Q, Zhou G, Liu S, Zhu B, Lin P, Hu X, Zha J, Long Y, Luo B, Chen J, Tang Y, Tang J, Xiang X, Xie X, Deng X, Chen G. SHMT2 Mediates Small-Molecule-Induced Alleviation of Alzheimer Pathology Via the 5'UTR-dependent ADAM10 Translation Initiation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305260. [PMID: 38183387 PMCID: PMC10953581 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
It is long been suggested that one-carbon metabolism (OCM) is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas the potential mechanisms remain poorly understood. Taking advantage of chemical biology, that mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT2) directly regulated the translation of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10), a therapeutic target for AD is reported. That the small-molecule kenpaullone (KEN) promoted ADAM10 translation via the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) and improved cognitive functions in APP/PS1 mice is found. SHMT2, which is identified as a target gene of KEN and the 5'UTR-interacting RNA binding protein (RBP), mediated KEN-induced ADAM10 translation in vitro and in vivo. SHMT2 controls AD signaling pathways through binding to a large number of RNAs and enhances the 5'UTR activity of ADAM10 by direct interaction with GAGGG motif, whereas this motif affected ribosomal scanning of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) in the 5'UTR. Together, KEN exhibits therapeutic potential for AD by linking OCM with RNA processing, in which the metabolic enzyme SHMT2 "moonlighted" as RBP by binding to GAGGG motif and promoting the 5'UTR-dependent ADAM10 translation initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Song
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Qiu‐Ling Pan
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Gui‐Feng Zhou
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Sheng‐Wei Liu
- Department of PharmacyYongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing402160China
| | - Bing‐Lin Zhu
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Pei‐Jia Lin
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Xiao‐Tong Hu
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
- Department of Health ManagementDaping HospitalArmy Medical universityChongqing400042China
| | - Jing‐Si Zha
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
- Department of Internal MedicineThe Southwest University HospitalChongqing400715China
| | - Yan Long
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
- Department of Geriatric MedicineDaping HospitalArmy Medical universityChongqing400042China
| | - Biao Luo
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Xiao‐Jiao Xiang
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
- Department of Nuclear MedicineThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400010China
| | - Xiao‐Yong Xie
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Xiao‐Juan Deng
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Guo‐Jun Chen
- Department of NeurologyChongqing Key Laboratory of Major Neurological and Mental DisordersThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
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Zhang Y, Su Y, Wang Z, Li T, Wang L, Ma D, Zhou M. TAK1 Reduces Surgery-induced Overactivation of RIPK1 to Relieve Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Dysfunction in Aged Rats. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:3073-3083. [PMID: 37329446 PMCID: PMC10471686 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common clinical complication in elderly patients, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), a key molecule mediating necroptosis and regulated by transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), was reported to be associated with cognitive impairment in several neurodegenerative diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the possible role of TAK1/RIPK1 signalling in POCD development following surgery in rats. METHODS Young (2-month-old) and old (24-month-old) Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to splenectomy under isoflurane anaesthesia. The young rats were treated with the TAK1 inhibitor takinib or the RIPK1 inhibitor necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) before surgery, and old rats received adeno-associated virus (AAV)-TAK1 before surgery. The open field test and contextual fear conditioning test were conducted on postoperative day 3. The changes in TNF-α, pro-IL-1β, AP-1, NF-κB p65, pRIPK1, pTAK1 and TAK1 expression and astrocyte and microglia activation in the hippocampus were assessed. RESULTS Old rats had low TAK1 expression and were more susceptible to surgery-induced POCD and neuroinflammation than young rats. TAK1 inhibition exacerbated surgery-induced pRIPK1 expression, neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction in young rats, and this effect was reversed by a RIPK1 inhibitor. Conversely, genetic TAK1 overexpression attenuated surgery-induced pRIPK1 expression, neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction in old rats. CONCLUSION Ageing-related decreases in TAK1 expression may contribute to surgery-induced RIPK1 overactivation, resulting in neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in old rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, 221009, China
| | - Yang Su
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Ziheng Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Teng Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Liwei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, 221009, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
| | - Daqing Ma
- Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
| | - Meiyan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, 221009, China.
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Grochecki P, Smaga I, Wydra K, Marszalek-Grabska M, Slowik T, Kedzierska E, Listos J, Gibula-Tarlowska E, Filip M, Kotlinska JH. Impact of Mephedrone on Fear Memory in Adolescent Rats: Involvement of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031941. [PMID: 36768263 PMCID: PMC9915535 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is complicated by the presence of drug use disorder comorbidity. Here, we examine whether conditioned fear (PTSD model) modifies the rewarding effect of mephedrone and if repeated mephedrone injections have impact on trauma-related behaviors (fear sensitization, extinction, and recall of the fear reaction). We also analyzed whether these trauma-induced changes were associated with exacerbation in metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and the GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor expression in such brain structures as the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala. Male adolescent rats underwent trauma exposure (1.5 mA footshock), followed 7 days later by a conditioned place preference training with mephedrone. Next, the post-conditioning test was performed. Fear sensitization, conditioned fear, anxiety-like behavior, extinction acquisition and relapse were then assessed to evaluate behavioral changes. MMP-9, GluN2A and GluN2B were subsequently measured. Trauma-exposed rats subjected to mephedrone treatment acquired a strong place preference and exhibited impairment in fear extinction and reinstatement. Mephedrone had no effect on trauma-induced MMP-9 level in the basolateral amygdala, but decreased it in the hippocampus. GluN2B expression was decreased in the hippocampus, but increased in the basolateral amygdala of mephedrone-treated stressed rats. These data suggest that the modification of the hippocampus and basolateral amygdala due to mephedrone use can induce fear memory impairment and drug seeking behavior in adolescent male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland
| | - Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8B, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Tymoteusz Slowik
- Experimental Medicine Center, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewa Kedzierska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Joanna Listos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Chodzki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence:
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Pantoni MM, Kim JL, Van Alstyne KR, Anagnostaras SG. MDMA and memory, addiction, and depression: dose-effect analysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:935-949. [PMID: 35179622 PMCID: PMC8891111 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06086-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE ±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a recreational drug that shows substantial promise as a psychotherapeutic agent. Still, there is some concern regarding its behavioral toxicity, and its dose-effect relationship is poorly understood. We previously explored the role of dose in the cognitive effects of MDMA in a systematic review of existing literature and found no evidence in animals that MDMA impairs memory at low doses (< 3 mg/kg) but mixed results at high doses (≥ 3 mg/kg). Since this review comprised mostly of single-dose studies and an assortment of methodologies, an empirical dose-ranging study on this topic is warranted. OBJECTIVES The current study aims to evaluate the conclusion from our systematic review that 3 mg/kg may be the threshold for MDMA-induced amnesia, and to further understand the dose-effect relationship of MDMA on behavioral assays of memory, addiction, and depression. METHODS We systematically examined the effects of 0.01 to 10 mg/kg MDMA on Pavlovian fear conditioning; behavioral sensitization, conditioned place preference, and conditioned responding; and the Porsolt forced swim test in mice. RESULTS High doses of MDMA (≥ 3 mg/kg) produced amnesia of fear conditioning memory, some evidence of an addictive potential, and antidepressant effects, while low doses of MDMA (≤ 1 mg/kg) had no effect on these behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The present dose-ranging study provides further evidence that 3 mg/kg is the threshold for MDMA-induced amnesia. These findings, in addition to our systematic review, demonstrate that careful selection of MDMA dose is critical. High doses (≥ 3 mg/kg) should likely be avoided due to evidence that they can produce amnesia and addiction. Conversely, there is little evidence to suggest that low doses, which are usually administered in clinical studies (approximately 1-2 mg/kg), will lead to these same adverse effects. Ultra-low doses (< 1 mg/kg) are likely even safer and should be investigated for therapeutic effects in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M. Pantoni
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Translational Psychedelic Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, CA San Francisco, USA
| | - Jinah L. Kim
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Kaitlin R. Van Alstyne
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Stephan G. Anagnostaras
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Program in Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
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Cognitive profiling and proteomic analysis of the modafinil analogue S-CE-123 in experienced aged rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23962. [PMID: 34907284 PMCID: PMC8671572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03372-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of novel cognitive enhancer drugs in the clinic highlights the prediction problems of animal assays. The objective of the current study was to test a putative cognitive enhancer in a rodent cognitive test system with improved translational validity and clinical predictivity. Cognitive profiling was complemented with post mortem proteomic analysis. Twenty-seven male Lister Hooded rats (26 months old) having learned several cognitive tasks were subchronically treated with S-CE-123 (CE-123) in a randomized blind experiment. Rats were sacrificed after the last behavioural procedure and plasma and brains were collected. A label-free quantification approach was used to characterize proteomic changes in the synaptosomal fraction of the prefrontal cortex. CE-123 markedly enhanced motivation which resulted in superior performance in a new-to-learn operant discrimination task and in a cooperation assay of social cognition, and mildly increased impulsivity. The compound did not affect attention, spatial and motor learning. Proteomic quantification revealed 182 protein groups significantly different between treatment groups containing several proteins associated with aging and neurodegeneration. Bioinformatic analysis showed the most relevant clusters delineating synaptic vesicle recycling, synapse organisation and antioxidant activity. The cognitive profile of CE-123 mapped by the test system resembles that of modafinil in the clinic showing the translational validity of the test system. The findings of modulated synaptic systems are paralleling behavioral results and are in line with previous evidence for the role of altered synaptosomal protein groups in mechanisms of cognitive function.
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Adam LC, Repantis D, Konrad BN, Dresler M, Kühn S. Memory enhancement with stimulants: Differential neural effects of methylphenidate, modafinil, and caffeine. A pilot study. Brain Cogn 2021; 154:105802. [PMID: 34592684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2021.105802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Human memory is susceptible to manipulation in many respects. While consolidation is well known to be prone to disruption, there is also growing evidence for the enhancement of memory function. Beside cognitive strategies and mnemonic training, the use of stimulants may improve memory processing in healthy adults. In this single-dose, double-blind, within-subject, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study, 20 mg methylphenidate (N = 13) or 200 mg modafinil (N = 12) or 200 mg caffeine (N = 14) were administrated to in total 39 healthy participants while performing a declarative memory task. Each participant received only one substance and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess drug-dependent memory effects of the substance for encoding and recognition compared to task-related activation under placebo. While methylphenidate showed some behavioral effect regarding memory recall performance, on the neural level, methylphenidate-dependent deactivations were found in fronto-parietal and temporal regions during recognition of previously learned words. No BOLD alterations were seen during encoding. Caffeine led to deactivations in the precentral gyrus during encoding whereas modafinil did not show any BOLD signal alterations at all. These results should be interpreted with caution since this a pilot study with several limitations, most importantly the small number of participants per group. However, our main finding of task-related deactivations may point to a drug-dependent increase of efficiency in physiological response to memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas C Adam
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitris Repantis
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Boris N Konrad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Simone Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hamburg, Germany
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Hersey M, Bacon AK, Bailey LG, Coggiano MA, Newman AH, Leggio L, Tanda G. Psychostimulant Use Disorder, an Unmet Therapeutic Goal: Can Modafinil Narrow the Gap? Front Neurosci 2021; 15:656475. [PMID: 34121988 PMCID: PMC8187604 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.656475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of individuals affected by psychostimulant use disorder (PSUD) has increased rapidly over the last few decades resulting in economic, emotional, and physical burdens on our society. Further compounding this issue is the current lack of clinically approved medications to treat this disorder. The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a common target of psychostimulant actions related to their use and dependence, and the recent availability of atypical DAT inhibitors as a potential therapeutic option has garnered popularity in this research field. Modafinil (MOD), which is approved for clinical use for the treatment of narcolepsy and sleep disorders, blocks DAT just like commonly abused psychostimulants. However, preclinical and clinical studies have shown that it lacks the addictive properties (in both behavioral and neurochemical studies) associated with other abused DAT inhibitors. Clinical availability of MOD has facilitated its off-label use for several psychiatric disorders related to alteration of brain dopamine (DA) systems, including PSUD. In this review, we highlight clinical and preclinical research on MOD and its R-enantiomer, R-MOD, as potential medications for PSUD. Given the complexity of PSUD, we have also reported the effects of MOD on psychostimulant-induced appearance of several symptoms that could intensify the severity of the disease (i.e., sleep disorders and impairment of cognitive functions), besides the potential therapeutic effects of MOD on PSUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Hersey
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amanda K. Bacon
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lydia G. Bailey
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mark A. Coggiano
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amy H. Newman
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Clinical Psychoneuroendo- crinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Translational Addiction Medicine Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- Medication Development Program, Molecular Targets and Medication Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Chronic modafinil therapy ameliorates depressive-like behavior, spatial memory and hippocampal plasticity impairments, and sleep-wake changes in a surgical mouse model of menopause. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:116. [PMID: 33558464 PMCID: PMC7870893 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01229-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression, cognitive deficits, and sleep disturbances are common and often severe in menopausal women. Hormone replacement cannot effectively alleviate these symptoms and sometimes elicits life-threatening adverse reactions. Exploring effective therapies to target psychological problems is urgently needed. In this work, we developed a mouse model of menopause by bilateral ovariectomies (OVXs) and investigated whether menopausal mental symptoms can be ameliorated by psychostimulant modafinil (MOD) as well as explored the underlying mechanisms. At ~3 weeks after OVXs, mice got daily intraperitoneal administrations of MOD at the beginning of the active phase. Several behavioral tests and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were conducted. Electrophysiological and immunohistochemical experiments were carried out to evaluate the synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, respectively. We found that chronic MOD administration in OVX mice significantly decreased immobility time. The spatial memory performance of OVX mice improved significantly in response to MOD administration in the Morris water-maze test. The OVX mice were characterized by an attenuation of hippocampal synaptic transmission and synaptic long-term potentiation and had fewer 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine-labeled cells in the dentate gyrus, which were restored after MOD administration. Antagonists of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors and GABAA receptor agonists were involved in MOD-exerted anti-depressant actions and augments of hippocampal neurogenesis in OVX mice. Moreover, night-dosed MOD therapy significantly promoted the night-time delta-band EEG power during wakefulness and the day-time rapid eye movement sleep amount, which were significantly reduced by OVXs. Collectively, these findings suggest that MOD is a promising therapeutic candidate for menopausal women.
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Curry SH, Marler M. Effects of ecgonine methyl ester on cognition in scopolamine-impaired and aged rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1331-1342. [PMID: 32034448 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05460-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Searches for antidotes to cocaine, and for cognition enhancers potentially applicable to Alzheimer's disease, have revealed a novel regulatory site on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In the presence of an agonist, inhibitors binding to this site changed the ion channel equilibrium from the open-channel form towards the closed form. Other, related, molecules could bind to the site without changing the equilibrium. These latter compounds were predicted to displace the inhibitors without affecting receptor function per se. These compounds alleviated the inhibition. One of them is ecgonine methyl ester (EME), which is generally described as inactive, but this work suggested a beneficial effect on cognition. OBJECTIVE This in vivo study tested for cognitive enhancement by EME in scopolamine-impaired, and aged, rats. METHODS Memory was the primary endpoint, but thigmotaxis became an important secondary endpoint in the light of observations made during the study. Impaired cognition was pharmacologically induced by scopolamine in young rats, and spontaneously present in aged rats. Learning ability before and after administration of EME was tested in Morris water maze protocols. Concentrations of EME in the brain and plasma were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS A single dose of EME reversed scopolamine impairment, indicating involvement of acetylcholine receptors. Longer-term treatment improved cognition in aged rats, with enhanced rates of learning in the absence of an exogenous cognition-impairing compound. Impairment returned with a new challenge; the improvement could be re-established with continued dosing. EME also reversed thigmotaxis seen in aged rats; thigmotaxis is believed to indicate anxiety. The concentrations of EME in the brain proved adequate drug exposure. CONCLUSIONS Since other investigators have shown cognition impairment caused by cocaine in aged rats, this work shows that cocaine and EME have opposite effects in Morris water maze models. EME might induce cognitive enhancement and relief of anxiety in cocaine-impaired humans, and in other cognitive disorders.
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Kumar M, Maqbool S. Memory improvement by modafinil at cost of metabolic hazards? A study to decipher the benefits and risks of modafinil in rats. Neurotoxicology 2020; 78:106-115. [PMID: 32126242 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modafinil is approved for narcolepsy and achieved high success in off-label indications in memory-related disorders. However, chronic indiscriminate use of modafinil imposes several health hazards like hyperglycaemia, obesity and metabolic syndrome, owing to impairment of sleep-wake cycle, circadian-rhythm, and neurotransmission. The present protocol elucidates the effects of modafinil per se and diabetic complications apropos. METHODS Modafinil (100 and 200 mg/kg) was administered in rats from day 5-26. To induce type-2 diabetes, streptozotocin (STZ) was given on day 1, and blood glucose assessed on day 5. CPP (combination propranolol and phentolamine) was administered to antagonize sympathetic activity. After evaluation of cognitive functions, serum lipid profile, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were assessed. RESULTS Subacute dosing of modafinil significantly elevated blood glucose levels, albeit considerably less than diabetic group, and attenuated brain oxidative stress and AChE activity. Modafinil caused significant dyslipidaemia, increased body weight, whereas modestly altered abdominal circumference (AC) and thoracic circumference (TC) in rats. Significant hyperglycaemia, derangement of serum lipid-profile, brain lipid peroxidation, cholinergic hypofunction, and decrease in body weight and ACTC was noted in diabetic rats. Modafinil (100 mg/kg) significantly potentiated the hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia, however, attenuated oxidative stress and AChE activity in diabetic rats. Modafinil increased short-term (working) memory but not long-term spatial memory in normal and diabetic rats. CPP infusion attenuated these effects of modafinil. CONCLUSION Subacute dosing of modafinil differentially modulates long-term and short-term memory subtypes, and also predisposes towards metabolic derangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Swift School of Pharmacy, Ghaggar Sarai (Rajpura), Punjab, 140401, India.
| | - Shahnawaz Maqbool
- Department of Pharmacology, Swift School of Pharmacy, Ghaggar Sarai (Rajpura), Punjab, 140401, India
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11
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal models and human studies have identified the potential of modafinil as a cognitive enhancing agent, independent of its effects on promoting wakefulness in sleep-deprived samples. Given that single-dose applications of other putative memory enhancers (eg, D-cycloserine, yohimbine, and methylene blue) have shown success in enhancing clinical outcomes for anxiety-related disorders, we conducted a meta-analytic review examining the potential for single-dose effects for modafinil on cognitive functioning in non-sleep-deprived adults. METHODS A total of 19 placebo-controlled trials that examined the effects of single-dose modafinil versus placebo on the cognitive domains of attention, executive functioning, memory, or processing speed were identified, allowing for the calculation of 67 cognitive domain-specific effect sizes. RESULTS The overall positive effect of modafinil over placebo across all cognitive domains was small and significant (g = 0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.15; P < 0.001). No significant differences between cognitive domains were found. Likewise, no significant moderation was found for modafinil dose (100 mg vs 200 mg) or for the populations studied (psychiatric vs nonpsychiatric). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the available evidence indicates only limited potential for modafinil to act as a cognitive enhancer outside sleep-deprived populations.
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12
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Pantoni MM, Anagnostaras SG. Cognitive Effects of MDMA in Laboratory Animals: A Systematic Review Focusing on Dose. Pharmacol Rev 2019; 71:413-449. [PMID: 31249067 DOI: 10.1124/pr.118.017087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
±3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is primarily used recreationally but also may have some therapeutic value. At low doses, MDMA produces feelings of relaxation, empathy, emotional closeness, and euphoria. Higher doses can produce unpleasant psychostimulant- and hallucinogen-like adverse effects and therefore are usually not taken intentionally. There is considerable evidence that MDMA produces neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits at high doses; however, these findings may not generalize to typical recreational or therapeutic use of low-dose MDMA. Here, we systematically review 25 years of research on the cognitive effects of MDMA in animals, with a critical focus on dose. We found no evidence that doses of less than 3 mg/kg MDMA-the dose range that users typically take-produce cognitive deficits in animals. Doses of 3 mg/kg or greater, which were administered most often and frequently ranged from 5 to 20 times greater than an average dose, also did not produce cognitive deficits in a slight majority of experiments. Overall, the preclinical evidence of MDMA-induced cognitive deficits is weak and, if anything, may be the result of unrealistically high dosing. While factors associated with recreational use such as polydrug use, adulterants, hyperthermia, and hyponatremia can increase the potential for neurotoxicity, the short-term, infrequent, therapeutic use of ultra low-dose MDMA is unlikely to pose significant cognitive risks. Future studies must examine any adverse cognitive effects of MDMA using clinically relevant doses to reliably assess its potential as a psychotherapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Pantoni
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology (M.M.P., S.G.A.) and Program in Neurosciences (S.G.A.), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Stephan G Anagnostaras
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology (M.M.P., S.G.A.) and Program in Neurosciences (S.G.A.), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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13
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Pantoni MM, Carmack SA, Hammam L, Anagnostaras SG. Dopamine and norepinephrine transporter inhibition for long-term fear memory enhancement. Behav Brain Res 2019; 378:112266. [PMID: 31580915 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Psychostimulants are highly effective cognitive-enhancing therapeutics yet have a significant potential for abuse and addiction. While psychostimulants likely exert their rewarding and addictive properties through dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibition, the mechanisms of their procognitive effects are less certain. By one prevalent view, psychostimulants exert their procognitive effects exclusively through norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibition, however increasing evidence suggests that DAT also plays a critical role in their cognitive-enhancing properties, including long-term memory enhancement. The present experiments test the hypothesis that combined strong NET and weak DAT inhibition will mimic the fear memory-enhancing but not the addiction-related effects of psychostimulants in mice. We examined the effects of the high affinity NET inhibitors atomoxetine or nisoxetine and the low affinity DAT inhibitor bupropion, either alone or in combination, on short- and long-term memory of Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also examined the addiction-related effects of combined strong NET and weak DAT inhibition using conditioned place preference and a locomotor activity test. While atomoxetine or nisoxetine alone enhanced short-term fear memory, the addition of bupropion was required to significantly enhance long-term fear memory. Additionally, combined atomoxetine and bupropion did not produce substantial motor stimulation or place preference. These findings suggest that combining strong NET and weak DAT inhibition could lead to the development of a highly effective cognitive enhancer that lacks the potential for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Pantoni
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA.
| | - Stephanie A Carmack
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA
| | - Leen Hammam
- Division of Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA
| | - Stephan G Anagnostaras
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA; Program in Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA
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14
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Malikowska-Racia N, Sałat K, Nowaczyk A, Fijałkowski Ł, Popik P. Dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonists attenuate PTSD-like symptoms in mice exposed to single prolonged stress. Neuropharmacology 2019; 155:1-9. [PMID: 31085186 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Medications that enhance dopaminergic neurotransmission can be useful in the pharmacotherapy of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which manifests as fearful memory retrieval, anxiety and depression. We examined the effects of subchronic (15 days) treatment with select dopaminergic medications, including bromocriptine, modafinil, dihydrexidine, rotigotine and pramipexole, in a mouse model of PTSD induced by single prolonged stress (mSPS). The potential antidepressant-like and anxiolytic effects of the medications were measured by the forced swim test (FST) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, respectively. In addition, we studied the effects of these medications on memory retrieval in an auditory fear conditioning (FC) test, on ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) induced by restraint stress, and on spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA). We report that a single exposure to a severe and complex set of stressors several days before testing increased immobility time in the FST and freezing in the FC paradigm and reduced the time spent in the open arms of the EPM. The stressed mice also displayed increased USVs, especially the short type. While none of the tested dopamine-mimetics exhibited anxiolytic-like effects, rotigotine produced antidepressant-like activity specifically in the mSPS-exposed animals. Moreover, both rotigotine and pramipexole shortened the duration of freezing in the fear conditioning test, but only in the mSPS-exposed mice. This study supports the hypothesis that the activation of dopaminergic D2/D3 receptors may be a promising pharmacotherapy for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Malikowska-Racia
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Kinga Sałat
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688, Krakow, Poland
| | - Alicja Nowaczyk
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 2 dr. A. Jurasza St., 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Łukasz Fijałkowski
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 2 dr. A. Jurasza St., 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Piotr Popik
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 12 Michalowskiego St., 31-126, Krakow, Poland; Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna St., 31-343, Krakow, Poland
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15
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Vigil FA, Giese KP. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II and memory destabilization: a new role in memory maintenance. J Neurochem 2018; 147:12-23. [PMID: 29704430 PMCID: PMC6221169 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the poorly explored role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in memory maintenance, and its influence on memory destabilization. After a brief review on CaMKII and memory destabilization, we present critical pieces of evidence suggesting that CaMKII activity increases retrieval-induced memory destabilization. We then proceed to propose two potential molecular pathways to explain the association between CaMKII activation and increased memory destabilization. This review will pinpoint gaps in our knowledge and discuss some 'controversial' observations, establishing the basis for new experiments on the role of CaMKII in memory reconsolidation. The role of CaMKII in memory destabilization is of great clinical relevance. Still, because of the lack of scientific literature on the subject, more basic science research is necessary to pursue this pathway as a clinical tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Antonio Vigil
- Department of Cell and Integrative PhysiologyThe University of Texas Health San Antonio8403, Floyd Curl DriveSan AntonioTX 78229USA
| | - Karl Peter Giese
- Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceKing's College London125 Coldharbour LaneLondonSE5 9NUUK
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16
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Kredlow MA, Eichenbaum H, Otto MW. Memory creation and modification: Enhancing the treatment of psychological disorders. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2018; 73:269-285. [PMID: 29494172 PMCID: PMC5897133 DOI: 10.1037/amp0000185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Modification of the ongoing influence of maladaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns is a fundamental feature of many psychological treatments. Accordingly, a clear understanding of the nature of memory adaptation and accommodation to therapeutic learning becomes an important issue for (1) understanding the impact of clinical interventions, and (2) considering innovations in treatment strategies. In this article, we consider advances in the conceptualization of memory processes and memory modification research relative to clinical treatment. We review basic research on the formation of memories, the way in which new learning is integrated within memory structures, and strategies to influence the nature and degree to which new learning is integrated. We then discuss cognitive/behavioral and pharmacological strategies for influencing memory formation in relation to disorder prevention or treatment. Our goal is to foster awareness of current strategies for enhancing therapeutic learning and to encourage research on potential new avenues for memory enhancement in service of the treatment of mental health disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael W Otto
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
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17
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Kristofova M, Aher YD, Ilic M, Radoman B, Kalaba P, Dragacevic V, Aher NY, Leban J, Korz V, Zanon L, Neuhaus W, Wieder M, Langer T, Urban E, Sitte HH, Hoeger H, Lubec G, Aradska J. A daily single dose of a novel modafinil analogue CE-123 improves memory acquisition and memory retrieval. Behav Brain Res 2018; 343:83-94. [PMID: 29410048 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine reuptake inhibitors have been shown to improve cognitive parameters in various tasks and animal models. We recently reported a series of modafinil analogues, of which the most promising, 5-((benzhydrylsulfinyl)methyl) thiazole (CE-123), was selected for further development. The present study aims to characterize pharmacological properties of CE-123 and to investigate the potential to enhance memory performance in a rat model. In vitro transporter assays were performed in cells expressing human transporters. CE-123 blocked uptake of [3H] dopamine (IC50 = 4.606 μM) while effects on serotonin (SERT) and the norepinephrine transporter (NET) were negligible. Blood-brain barrier and pharmacokinetic studies showed that the compound reached the brain and lower elimination than R-modafinil. The Pro-cognitive effect was evaluated in a spatial hole-board task in male Sprague-Dawley rats and CE-123 enhances memory acquisition and memory retrieval, represented by significantly increased reference memory indices and shortened latency. Since DAT blockers can be considered as indirect dopamine receptor agonists, western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of dopamine receptors D1R, D2R and D5R and DAT in the synaptosomal fraction of hippocampal subregions CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG). CE-123 administration in rats increased total DAT levels and D1R protein levels were significantly increased in CA1 and CA3 in treated/trained groups. The increase of D5R was observed in DG only. Dopamine receptors, particularly D1R, seem to play a role in mediating CE-123-induced memory enhancement. Dopamine reuptake inhibition by CE-123 may represent a novel and improved stimulant therapeutic for impairments of cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Kristofova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yogesh D Aher
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marija Ilic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bojana Radoman
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Predrag Kalaba
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vladimir Dragacevic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nilima Y Aher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann Leban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Volker Korz
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Zanon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Winfried Neuhaus
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Competence Center Health and Bioresources, Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Wieder
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Urban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Hoeger
- Core Unit of Biomedical Research, Division of Laboratory Animal Science and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Himberg, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Jana Aradska
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
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18
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Hussein AM, Aher YD, Kalaba P, Aher NY, Dragačević V, Radoman B, Ilić M, Leban J, Beryozkina T, Ahmed ABM, Urban E, Langer T, Lubec G. A novel heterocyclic compound improves working memory in the radial arm maze and modulates the dopamine receptor D1R in frontal cortex of the Sprague-Dawley rat. Behav Brain Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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19
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Shanmugasundaram B, Aher YD, Aradska J, Ilic M, Daba Feyissa D, Kalaba P, Aher NY, Dragacevic V, Saber Marouf B, Langer T, Sitte HH, Hoeger H, Lubec G, Korz V. R-Modafinil exerts weak effects on spatial memory acquisition and dentate gyrus synaptic plasticity. PLoS One 2017. [PMID: 28644892 PMCID: PMC5482457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Modafinil is a wake promoting drug approved for clinical use and also has cognitive enhancing properties. Its enantiomer R-Modafinil (R-MO) is not well studied in regard to cognitive enhancing properties. Hence we studied its effect in a spatial memory paradigm and its possible effects on dentate gyrus long-term potentiation (DG-LTP). Clinically relevant doses of R-MO, vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or saline were administered for three days during the hole-board test and in in vivo DG-LTP. Synaptic levels of dopamine receptors D1R, D2R, dopamine transporter (DAT), and its phosphorylated form (ph-DAT) in DG tissue 4 h after LTP induction were quantified by western blot analysis. Monoamine reuptake and release assays were performed by using transfected HEK-293 cells. Possible neurotoxic side effects on general behaviour were also studied. R-MO at both doses significantly enhanced spatial reference memory during the last training session and during memory retrieval compared to DMSO vehicle but not when compared to saline treated rats. Similarly, R-MO rescues DG-LTP from impairing effects of DMSO. DMSO reduced memory performance and LTP magnitude when compared to saline treated groups. The synaptic DR1 levels in R-MO groups were significantly decreased compared to DMSO group but were comparable with saline treated animals. We found no effect of R-MO in neurotoxicity tests. Thus, our results support the notion that LTP-like synaptic plasticity processes could be one of the factors contributing to the cognitive enhancing effects of spatial memory traces. D1R may play an important regulatory role in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yogesh D. Aher
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jana Aradska
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marija Ilic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Predrag Kalaba
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nilima Y. Aher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vladimir Dragacevic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Babak Saber Marouf
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thierry Langer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald H. Sitte
- Centre for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Addiction Research and Science, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Hoeger
- Core Unit of Biomedical Research, Division of Laboratory Animal Science and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Himberg, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Neuroproteomics Laboratory, Science Park, Bratislava, Slowakia
- * E-mail: (GL); (VK)
| | - Volker Korz
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (GL); (VK)
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Punzi M, Gili T, Petrosini L, Caltagirone C, Spalletta G, Sensi SL. Modafinil-Induced Changes in Functional Connectivity in the Cortex and Cerebellum of Healthy Elderly Subjects. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:85. [PMID: 28424611 PMCID: PMC5371677 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past few years, cognitive enhancing drugs (CEDs) have gained growing interest and the focus of investigations aimed at exploring their use to potentiate the cognitive performances of healthy individuals. Most of this exploratory CED-related research has been performed on young adults. However, CEDs may also help to maintain optimal brain functioning or compensate for subtle and or subclinical deficits associated with brain aging or early-stage dementia. In this study, we assessed effects on resting state brain activity in a group of healthy elderly subjects undergoing acute administration of modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting agent. To that aim, participants (n = 24) were investigated with resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) before and after the administration of a single dose (100 mg) of modafinil. Effects were compared to age and size-matched placebo group. Rs-fMRI effects were assessed, employing a graph-based approach and Eigenvector Centrality (EC) analysis, by taking in account topological changes occurring in functional brain networks. The main finding of the study is that modafinil promotes enhanced centrality, a measure of the importance of nodes within functional networks, of the bilateral primary visual (V1) cortex. EC analysis also revealed that modafinil-treated subjects show increased functional connectivity between the V1 and specific cerebellar (Crus I, Crus II, VIIIa lobule) and frontal (right inferior frontal sulcus and left middle frontal gyrus) regions. Present findings provide functional data supporting the hypothesis that modafinil can modulate the cortico-cerebellar connectivity of the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Punzi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-PescaraChieti, Italy.,Molecular Neurology Unit, Center of Excellence on Aging and Translational Medicine (Ce.S.I.-Me.T.), "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-PescaraChieti, Italy
| | - Tommaso Gili
- Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico FermiRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Section of Neuroscience and "Daniel Bovet" Neurobiology Research Center, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy.,Department of Medicine of Systems, University of Rome Tor VergataRome, Italy
| | | | - Stefano L Sensi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-PescaraChieti, Italy.,Molecular Neurology Unit, Center of Excellence on Aging and Translational Medicine (Ce.S.I.-Me.T.), "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-PescaraChieti, Italy.,Departments of Neurology and Pharmacology, Institute for Mind Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, IrvineCA, USA
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21
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Tandel H, Shah D, Vanza J, Misra A. Lipid based formulation approach for BCS class-II drug: Modafinil in the treatment of ADHD. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Zhu Y, Wang Y, Yao R, Hao T, Cao J, Huang H, Wang L, Wu Y. Enhanced neuroinflammation mediated by DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor triggers cognitive dysfunction after sevoflurane anesthesia in adult rats subjected to maternal separation during the neonatal period. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:6. [PMID: 28086911 PMCID: PMC5234142 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-016-0782-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mounting evidence indicates that children who experience abuse and neglect are prone to chronic diseases and premature mortality later in life. One mechanistic hypothesis for this phenomenon is that early life adversity alters the expression or functioning of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) throughout the course of life and thereby increases sensitivity to inflammatory stimulation. An exaggerated pro-inflammatory response is generally considered to be a key cause of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of early life adversity on cognitive function and neuroinflammation after sevoflurane anesthesia in adult rats and to determine whether such effects are associated with the epigenetic regulation of GR. METHODS Wistar rat pups were repeatedly subjected to infant maternal separation (early life stress) from postnatal days 2-21. In adulthood, their behavior and the signaling of hippocampal pro-inflammatory factors and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) after sevoflurane anesthesia were evaluated. We also examined the effects of maternal separation (MS) on the expression of GR and the DNA methylation status of the promoter region of exon 17 of GR and whether behavioral changes and neuroinflammation after anesthesia were reversible when the expression of GR was increased by altering DNA methylation. RESULTS MS induced cognitive decline after sevoflurane inhalation in the Morris water maze and context fear conditioning tests and enhanced the release of cytokines and the activation of astrocyte intracellular NF-κB signaling induced by sevoflurane in the hippocampus of adult rats. Blocking NF-κB signaling by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) inhibited the release of cytokines. MS also reduced the expression of GR and upregulated the methylation levels of the promoter region of GR exon 17, and such effects were reversed by treatment with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) in adult rats. Moreover, TSA treatment in adult MS rats inhibited the overactivation of astrocyte intracellular NF-κB signaling and the release of cytokines and alleviated cognitive dysfunction after sevoflurane anesthesia. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress induces cognitive dysfunction after sevoflurane anesthesia, perhaps due to the aberrant methylation of the GR gene promoter, which reduces the expression of the GR gene and facilitates exaggerated inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangzi Zhu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, 199 Jiefang South Road, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Yao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Hao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Junli Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - He Huang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Liwei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, 199 Jiefang South Road, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yuqing Wu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan, Xuzhou, 221004, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Anesthetic Pharmacology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Saroja SR, Aher YD, Kalaba P, Aher NY, Zehl M, Korz V, Subramaniyan S, Miklosi AG, Zanon L, Neuhaus W, Höger H, Langer T, Urban E, Leban J, Lubec G. A novel heterocyclic compound targeting the dopamine transporter improves performance in the radial arm maze and modulates dopamine receptors D1-D3. Behav Brain Res 2016; 312:127-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Roschlau C, Votteler A, Hauber W. Stimulant drug effects on touchscreen automated paired-associates learning (PAL) in rats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:422-6. [PMID: 27421894 PMCID: PMC4947238 DOI: 10.1101/lm.040345.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we tested in rats effects of the procognitive drugs modafinil and methylphenidate on post-acquisition performance in an object–location paired-associates learning (PAL) task. Modafinil (32; 64 mg/kg) was without effect, while higher (9 mg/kg) but not lower (4.5 mg/kg) doses of methylphenidate impaired PAL performance. Likewise, higher but not lower doses of amphetamine (0.4; 0.8 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.08; 0.12 mg/kg) decreased PAL performance. Impaired PAL performance induced by methylphenidate, amphetamine, and MK801 most likely reflects compromised cognitive function, e.g., retrieval of learned paired associates. Our data suggest that stimulant drugs such as methylphenidate and modafinil might not facilitate performance in hippocampus-related cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Roschlau
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Angeline Votteler
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hauber
- Department Animal Physiology, University of Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany
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25
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Goetghebeur PJ, Swartz JE. True alignment of preclinical and clinical research to enhance success in CNS drug development: a review of the current evidence. J Psychopharmacol 2016; 30:586-94. [PMID: 27147593 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116645269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Central nervous system pharmacological research and development has reached a critical turning point. Patients suffering from disorders afflicting the central nervous system are numerous and command significant attention from the pharmaceutical industry. However, given the numerous failures of promising drugs, many companies are no longer investing in or, indeed, are divesting from this therapeutic area. Central nervous system drug development must change in order to develop effective therapies to treat these patients. Preclinical research is a cornerstone of drug development; however, it is frequently criticised for its lack of predictive validity. Animal models and assays can be shown to be more predictive than reported and, on many occasions, the lack of thorough preclinical testing is potentially to blame for some of the clinical failures. Important factors such as translational aspects, nature of animal models, variances in acute versus chronic dosing, development of add-on therapies and understanding of the full dose-response relationship are too often neglected. Reducing the attrition rate in central nervous system drug development could be achieved by addressing these important questions before novel compounds enter the clinical phase. This review illustrates the relevance of employing these criteria to translational central nervous system research, better to ensure success in developing new drugs in this therapeutic area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jina E Swartz
- CNS Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda Development Centre Europe Ltd, London, UK
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26
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Aher YD, Subramaniyan S, Shanmugasundaram B, Sase A, Saroja SR, Holy M, Höger H, Beryozkina T, Sitte HH, Leban JJ, Lubec G. A Novel Heterocyclic Compound CE-104 Enhances Spatial Working Memory in the Radial Arm Maze in Rats and Modulates the Dopaminergic System. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:20. [PMID: 26941626 PMCID: PMC4761905 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Various psychostimulants targeting monoamine neurotransmitter transporters (MATs) have been shown to rescue cognition in patients with neurological disorders and improve cognitive abilities in healthy subjects at low doses. Here, we examined the effects upon cognition of a chemically synthesized novel MAT inhibiting compound 2-(benzhydrylsulfinylmethyl)-4-methylthiazole (named as CE-104). The efficacy of CE-104 in blocking MAT [dopamine transporter (DAT), serotonin transporter (SERT), and norepinephrine transporter] was determined using in vitro neurotransmitter uptake assay. The effect of the drug at low doses (1 and 10 mg/kg) on spatial memory was studied in male rats in the radial arm maze (RAM). Furthermore, the dopamine receptor and transporter complex levels of frontal cortex (FC) tissue of trained and untrained animals treated either with the drug or vehicle were quantified on blue native PAGE (BN-PAGE). The drug inhibited dopamine (IC50: 27.88 μM) and norepinephrine uptake (IC50: 160.40 μM), but had a negligible effect on SERT. In the RAM, both drug-dose groups improved spatial working memory during the performance phase of RAM as compared to vehicle. BN-PAGE Western blot quantification of dopamine receptor and transporter complexes revealed that D1, D2, D3, and DAT complexes were modulated due to training and by drug effects. The drug’s ability to block DAT and its influence on DAT and receptor complex levels in the FC is proposed as a possible mechanism for the observed learning and memory enhancement in the RAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh D Aher
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ajinkya Sase
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marion Holy
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Höger
- Core Unit of Biomedical Research, Division of Laboratory Animal Science and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna Himberg, Austria
| | | | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann J Leban
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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Effects of Modafinil on Behavioral Learning and Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission in Rats. Int Neurourol J 2015; 19:220-7. [PMID: 26739176 PMCID: PMC4703929 DOI: 10.5213/inj.2015.19.4.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Modafinil is a wake-promoting agent that has been proposed to improve cognitive performance at the preclinical and clinical levels. Since there is insufficient evidence for modafinil to be regarded as a cognitive enhancer, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic modafinil administration on behavioral learning in healthy adult rats. Methods: Y-maze training was used to assess learning performance, and the whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to assess synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1 region of rats. Results: Intraperitoneal administration of modafinil at 200 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg significantly improved learning performance. Furthermore, perfusion with 1mM modafinil enhanced the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous postsynaptic currents and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices. However, the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal neurons were inhibited by treatment with 1mM modafinil. Conclusions: These results indicate that modafinil improves learning and memory in rats possibly by enhancing glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission and inhibiting GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic) inhibitory synaptic transmission.
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Bernardi RE, Broccoli L, Spanagel R, Hansson AC. Sex differences in dopamine binding and modafinil conditioned place preference in mice. Drug Alcohol Depend 2015; 155:37-44. [PMID: 26342627 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies in humans and rodents have demonstrated under certain conditions some reinforcing properties of modafinil, a drug being examined clinically for its potential to treat psychostimulant abuse. However, the majority of rodent studies examining the abuse potential of modafinil have used high doses that may not be clinically relevant. In fact, recent work has indicated that doses similar to those administered to humans are not reinforcing in mice. METHODS The current study examined sex differences in the ability of low-dose modafinil (0.75mg/kg, IP) to induce a conditioned place preference in mice, and assessed sex-dependent alterations in dopamine D1, D2 and DAT binding sites in reward-related regions in naïve and modafinil-treated mice. RESULTS Low-dose modafinil failed to induce a conditioned place preference in male mice, while female mice demonstrated a significant modafinil place preference. Several dopamine binding differences were also detected in naïve and modafinil-treated mice, including sex differences in D1 and D2 availability in reward-related regions, and are discussed in relation to sex-dependent differences in the reinforcing effects of modafinil and psychostimulants in general. CONCLUSIONS These findings implicate sex differences in the reinforcing properties of modafinil in mice, and indicate that clinical evaluation of the sex dependence of the reinforcing properties of modafinil in humans is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick E Bernardi
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Laura Broccoli
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
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Karabacak Y, Sase S, Aher YD, Sase A, Saroja SR, Cicvaric A, Höger H, Berger M, Bakulev V, Sitte HH, Leban J, Monje FJ, Lubec G. The effect of modafinil on the rat dopamine transporter and dopamine receptors D1-D3 paralleling cognitive enhancement in the radial arm maze. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:215. [PMID: 26347626 PMCID: PMC4541367 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of drugs have been reported to increase memory performance modulating the dopaminergic system and herein modafinil was tested for its working memory (WM) enhancing properties. Reuptake inhibition of dopamine, serotonin (SERT) and norepinephrine (NET) by modafinil was tested. Sixty male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups (modafinil-treated 1–5–10 mg/kg body weight, trained and untrained and vehicle treated trained and untrained rats; daily injected intraperitoneally for a period of 10 days) and tested in a radial arm maze (RAM), a paradigm for testing spatial WM. Hippocampi were taken 6 h following the last day of training and complexes containing the unphosphorylated or phosphorylated dopamine transporter (DAT-CC and pDAT-CC) and complexes containing the D1–3 dopamine receptor subunits (D1–D3-CC) were determined. Modafinil was binding to the DAT but insignificantly to SERT or NET and dopamine reuptake was blocked specifically (IC50 = 11.11 μM; SERT 1547 μM; NET 182 μM). From day 8 (day 9 for 1 mg/kg body weight) modafinil was decreasing WM errors (WMEs) in the RAM significantly and remarkably at all doses tested as compared to the vehicle controls. WMEs were linked to the D2R-CC and the pDAT-CC. pDAT and D1–D3-CC levels were modulated significantly and modafinil was shown to enhance spatial WM in the rat in a well-documented paradigm at all the three doses and dopamine reuptake inhibition with subsequent modulation of D1–3-CC is proposed as a possible mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasemin Karabacak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Sunetra Sase
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Yogesh D Aher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Ajinkya Sase
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Ana Cicvaric
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Höger
- Core Unit of Biomedical Research, Division of Laboratory Animal Science and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Himberg Austria
| | - Michael Berger
- Center of Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Johann Leban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Francisco J Monje
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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30
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Shanmugasundaram B, Korz V, Fendt M, Braun K, Lubec G. Differential effects of wake promoting drug modafinil in aversive learning paradigms. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:220. [PMID: 26347629 PMCID: PMC4541287 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Modafinil (MO) an inhibitor of the dopamine transporter was initially approved to treat narcolepsy, a sleep related disorder in humans. One interesting “side-effect” of this drug, which emerged from preclinical and clinical studies, is the facilitation of cognitive performance. So far, this was primarily shown in appetitive learning paradigms, but it is yet unclear whether MO exerts a more general cognitive enhancement effect. Thus, the aim of the present study in rats was to extend these findings by testing the effects of MO in two aversive paradigms, Pavlovian fear conditioning (FC) and the operant two-way active avoidance (TWA) learning paradigms. We discovered a differential, task-dependent effect of MO. In the FC paradigm MO treated rats showed a dose-dependent enhancement of fear memory compared to vehicle treated rats, indicated by increased context-related freezing. Cue related fear memory remained unaffected. In the TWA paradigm MO induced a significant decrease of avoidance responses compared to vehicle treated animals, while the number of escape reactions during the acquisition of the TWA task remained unaffected. These findings expand the knowledge in the regulation of cognitive abilities and may contribute to the understanding of the contraindicative effects of MO in anxiety related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Volker Korz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Fendt
- Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although the cognitive-enhancing abilities after modafinil have been demonstrated, its effects on memory consolidation remain overlooked. We investigated the effects of repeated modafinil administration on consolidation of a discriminative avoidance task. METHODS Mice were trained in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task. After training, mice received intraperitonial modafinil (doses of 32, 64 or 128 mg/kg). Animals were treated for more 9 consecutive days; 30 min after the last injection, testing was performed. In addition, the effects of 32 mg/kg modafinil on consolidation at different time points were examined. RESULTS The smaller dose of modafinil (32 mg/kg) impaired memory consolidation, without modifying anxiety or locomotion. Still, modafinil post-training administration at 1 or 2 h impaired memory persistence. CONCLUSIONS Modafinil impaired memory consolidation in a dose- and time-dependent fashion.
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32
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Yaman M, Karakaya F, Aydin T, Mayda H, Güzel Hİ, Kayaalp D. Evaluation of the Effect of Modafinil on Cognitive Functions in Patients with Idiopathic Hypersomnia with P300. Med Sci Monit 2015; 21:1850-5. [PMID: 26116438 PMCID: PMC4487186 DOI: 10.12659/msm.893448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Modafinil is a well-tolerated psychostimulant drug with low addictive potential that is used to treat patients with narcolepsy and other excessive sleepiness. Whereas favorable effects of modafinil on cognitive functions have been shown in a large number of studies, there are very few reports presenting the effects of modafinil electrophysiologically. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of modafinil on auditory P300 latency and amplitude electrophysiologically. Material/Methods Eighteen patients (age range: 16–48 years) with a diagnosis of idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) were included in the present study. As a standard treatment, 200 mg/day modafinil was administered to each patient. The P300 auditory test was performed for each patient before and at the end of 1 week of modafinil treatment. Results After 1 week of modafinil treatment, mean P300 latencies (at all electrode sites) were significantly lower than the latencies before the treatment (P values for Fz, Cz and Pz recording sites were 0.039, 0.002, and 0.004, respectively). An increase in the P300 amplitudes was detected only at the Fz recording site, but not at Cz or Pz recording sites (P values for Fz, Cz, and Pz recording sites were 0.014, 0.100, and 0.05, respectively). Conclusions One week of modafinil treatment improved the cognitive performance, alertness, and executive functions in IH patients. Our electrophysiologically obtained findings provide further confirmation for previous reports in which modafinil has been shown to exert favorable effects on cognitive performance, alertness, and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Yaman
- Department of Neurology, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Fatıma Karakaya
- Department of Neurology, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Tuğçe Aydin
- Department of Neurology, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Hasan Mayda
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Hail İbrahim Güzel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Dilek Kayaalp
- Department of Neurology, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
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Brandt MD, Ellwardt E, Storch A. Short- and long-term treatment with modafinil differentially affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Neuroscience 2014; 278:267-75. [PMID: 25158676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 07/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the adult brain has been demonstrated in many species including humans and is suggested to have functional relevance for learning and memory. The wake promoting drug modafinil has popularly been categorized as a so-called neuroenhancer due to its positive effects on cognition. We here show that short- and long-term treatment with modafinil differentially effects hippocampal neurogenesis. We used different thymidine analogs (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), chlorodeoxyuridine (CldU), iododeoxyuridine (IdU)) and labeling protocols to investigate distinct regulative events during hippocampal neurogenesis, namely cell proliferation and survival. Eight-week-old mice that were treated with modafinil (64mg/kg, i.p.) every 24h for 4days show increased proliferation in the dentate gyrus indicated by BrdU-labeling and more newborn granule cells 3weeks after treatment. Short-term treatment for 4days also enhanced the number of postmitotic calretinin-expressing progenitor cells that were labeled with BrdU 1week prior to treatment indicating an increased survival of new born immature granule cells. Interestingly, long-term treatment for 14days resulted in an increased number of newborn Prox1(+) granule cells, but we could not detect an additive effect of the prolonged treatment on proliferation and survival of newborn cells. Moreover, daily administration for 14days did not influence the number of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus. Together, modafinil has an acute impact on precursor cell proliferation as well as survival but loses this ability during longer treatment durations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Brandt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Research Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| | - E Ellwardt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - A Storch
- Division of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Research Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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Gilleen J, Michalopoulou PG, Reichenberg A, Drake R, Wykes T, Lewis SW, Kapur S. Modafinil combined with cognitive training is associated with improved learning in healthy volunteers--a randomised controlled trial. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:529-39. [PMID: 24485800 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Improving cognition in people with neuropsychiatric disorders remains a major clinical target. By themselves pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches have shown only modest effects in improving cognition. In the present study we tested a recently-proposed methodology to combine CT with a 'cognitive-enhancing' drug to improve cognitive test scores and expanded on previous approaches by delivering combination drug and CT, over a long intervention of repeated sessions, and used multiple tasks to reveal the cognitive processes being enhanced. We also aimed to determine whether gains from this combination approach generalised to untrained tests. In this proof of principle randomised-controlled trial thirty-three healthy volunteers were randomised to receive either modafinil or placebo combined with daily cognitive training over two weeks. Volunteers were trained on tasks of new-language learning, working memory and verbal learning following 200 mg modafinil or placebo for ten days. Improvements in trained and untrained tasks were measured. Rate of new-language learning was significantly enhanced with modafinil, and effects were greatest over the first five sessions. Modafinil improved within-day learning rather than between-day retention. No enhancement of gains with modafinil was observed in working memory nor rate of verbal learning. Gains in all tasks were retained post drug-administration, but transfer effects to broad cognitive abilities were not seen. This study shows that combining CT with modafinil specifically elevates learning over early training sessions compared to CT with placebo and provides a proof of principle experimental paradigm for pharmacological enhancement of cognitive remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Gilleen
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom.
| | - P G Michalopoulou
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - A Reichenberg
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - R Drake
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - T Wykes
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - S W Lewis
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - S Kapur
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
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Carmack SA, Block CL, Howell KK, Anagnostaras SG. Methylphenidate enhances acquisition and retention of spatial memory. Neurosci Lett 2014; 567:45-50. [PMID: 24680747 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Psychostimulants containing methylphenidate (MPH) are increasingly being used both on and off-label to enhance learning and memory. Still, almost no studies have investigated MPH's ability to specifically improve spatial or long-term memory. Here we examined the effect of training with 1 or 10mg/kg MPH on hidden platform learning in the Morris water maze. 10mg/kg MPH improved memory acquisition and retention, while 1mg/kg MPH improved memory retention. Taken together with prior evidence that low, clinically relevant, doses of MPH (0.01-1mg/kg MPH) enhance fear memory we conclude that MPH broadly enhances memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Carmack
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego 92093-0109, United States
| | - Carina L Block
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego 92093-0109, United States
| | - Kristin K Howell
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego 92093-0109, United States
| | - Stephan G Anagnostaras
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego 92093-0109, United States; Program in Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego 92093-0109, United States.
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36
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Carmack SA, Howell KK, Rasaei K, Reas ET, Anagnostaras SG. Animal model of methylphenidate's long-term memory-enhancing effects. Learn Mem 2014; 21:82-9. [PMID: 24434869 PMCID: PMC3895222 DOI: 10.1101/lm.033613.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Methylphenidate (MPH), introduced more than 60 years ago, accounts for two-thirds of current prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although many studies have modeled MPH's effect on executive function, almost none have directly modeled its effect on long-term memory (LTM), even though improvement in LTM is a critical target of therapeutic intervention in ADHD. We examined the effects of a wide range of doses of MPH (0.01–10 mg/kg, i.p.) on Pavlovian fear learning, a leading model of memory. MPH's effects were then compared to those of atomoxetine (0.1–10 mg/kg, i.p.), bupropion (0.5–20 mg/kg, i.p.), and citalopram (0.01–10 mg/kg, i.p.). At low, clinically relevant doses, MPH enhanced fear memory; at high doses it impaired memory. MPH's memory-enhancing effects were not confounded by its effects on locomotion or anxiety. Further, MPH-induced memory enhancement seemed to require both dopamine and norepinephrine transporter inhibition. Finally, the addictive potential of MPH (1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) was compared to those of two other psychostimulants, amphetamine (0.005 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg) and cocaine (0.15 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg), using a conditioned place preference and behavioral sensitization paradigm. We found that memory-enhancing effects of psychostimulants observed at low doses are readily dissociable from their reinforcing and locomotor activating effects at high doses. Together, our data suggest that fear conditioning will be an especially fruitful platform for modeling the effects of psychostimulants on LTM in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Carmack
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, California 92093-0109, USA
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Wood S, Sage JR, Shuman T, Anagnostaras SG. Psychostimulants and cognition: a continuum of behavioral and cognitive activation. Pharmacol Rev 2013; 66:193-221. [PMID: 24344115 PMCID: PMC3880463 DOI: 10.1124/pr.112.007054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulants such as cocaine have been used as performance enhancers throughout recorded history. Although psychostimulants are commonly prescribed to improve attention and cognition, a great deal of literature has described their ability to induce cognitive deficits, as well as addiction. How can a single drug class be known to produce both cognitive enhancement and impairment? Properties of the particular stimulant drug itself and individual differences between users have both been suggested to dictate the outcome of stimulant use. A more parsimonious alternative, which we endorse, is that dose is the critical determining factor in cognitive effects of stimulant drugs. Herein, we review several popular stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine, methylphenidate, modafinil, and caffeine), outlining their history of use, mechanism of action, and use and abuse today. One common graphic depiction of the cognitive effects of psychostimulants is an inverted U-shaped dose-effect curve. Moderate arousal is beneficial to cognition, whereas too much activation leads to cognitive impairment. In parallel to this schematic, we propose a continuum of psychostimulant activation that covers the transition from one drug effect to another as stimulant intake is increased. Low doses of stimulants effect increased arousal, attention, and cognitive enhancement; moderate doses can lead to feelings of euphoria and power, as well as addiction and cognitive impairment; and very high doses lead to psychosis and circulatory collapse. This continuum helps account for the seemingly disparate effects of stimulant drugs, with the same drug being associated with cognitive enhancement and impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Wood
- 9500 Gilman Dr MC 0109, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109.
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Xiao H, Run X, Cao X, Su Y, Sun Z, Tian C, Sun S, Liang Z. Temperature control can abolish anesthesia-induced tau hyperphosphorylation and partly reverse anesthesia-induced cognitive impairment in old mice. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2013; 67:493-500. [PMID: 23992430 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2010] [Revised: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Anesthesia is related to cognitive impairment and the risk for Alzheimer's disease. Hypothermia during anesthesia can lead to abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, which has been speculated to be involved in anesthesia-induced cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether maintenance of the tau phosphorylation level by body temperature control during anesthesia could reverse the cognitive dysfunction in C57BL/6 mice. METHODS Eighteen-month-old mice were repeatedly anesthetized during a 2-week period with or without maintenance of body temperature, control mice were treated with normal saline instead of anesthetics. Tau phosphorylation level in mice brain was detected on western blot, and cognitive performance was measured using the Morris water maze (MWM). RESULTS After anesthesia-induced hypothermia in old mice, tau was hyperphosphorylated and the cognitive performance, measured on MWM, was impaired. When body temperature was controlled during anesthesia, however, the tau hyperphosphorylation was completely avoided, and there was partial recovery in cognitive impairment measured on the MWM. CONCLUSION Hyperphosphorylation of tau in the brain after anesthesia is an important event, and it might be, although not solely, responsible for postoperative cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibing Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Department of Neurology, The University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Garcia VA, Hirotsu C, Matos G, Alvarenga T, Pires GN, Kapczinski F, Schröder N, Tufik S, Andersen ML. Modafinil ameliorates cognitive deficits induced by maternal separation and sleep deprivation. Behav Brain Res 2013; 253:274-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Garcia VA, Souza de Freitas B, Busato SB, D'avila Portal BC, Piazza FC, Schröder N. Differential effects of modafinil on memory in naïve and memory-impaired rats. Neuropharmacology 2013; 75:304-11. [PMID: 23958446 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Modafinil is a wake-promoting drug and has been approved for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. Modafinil was shown to improve learning and memory in rodents, and to reverse memory deficits induced by sleep deprivation or stress. However, depending on the memory paradigm used, modafinil might also impair memory. We aimed to investigate the effects of modafinil on memory consolidation and retrieval for object recognition and inhibitory avoidance in naïve adult rats. We also investigated whether acute or chronic administration of modafinil would reverse memory deficits induced by iron overload, a model of memory impairment related to neurodegenerative disorders. Adult naïve rats received modafinil (0.0, 0.75, 7.5 or 75 mg/kg) either immediately after training or 1 h prior to testing in object recognition or inhibitory avoidance. Iron-treated rats received modafinil immediately after training in object recognition. In order to investigate the effects of chronic modafinil, iron-treated rats received daily injections of modafinil for 17 days, and 24 h later they were trained in object recognition or inhibitory avoidance. Acute modafinil does not affect memory consolidation or retrieval in naive rats. A single injection of modafinil at the highest dose was able to recover recognition memory in iron-treated rats. Chronic modafinil completely recovered iron-induced recognition memory and emotional memory deficits. Additional preclinical and clinical studies are necessary in order to support the applicability of modafinil in recovering memory impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Athaíde Garcia
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Betânia Souza de Freitas
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Stefano Boemler Busato
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Chaves D'avila Portal
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Francisco Correa Piazza
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Nadja Schröder
- Neurobiology and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Thomas RR, Khan SM, Smigrodzki RM, Onyango IG, Dennis J, Khan OM, Portelli FR, Bennett JP. RhTFAM treatment stimulates mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and improves memory in aged mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2013; 4:620-35. [PMID: 23075607 PMCID: PMC3492226 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial function declines with age in postmitotic tissues such as brain, heart and skeletal muscle. Despite weekly exercise, aged mice showed substantial losses of mtDNA gene copy numbers and reductions in mtDNA gene transcription and mitobiogenesis signaling in brain and heart. We treated these mice with weekly intravenous injections of recombinant human mitochondrial transcription factor A (rhTFAM). RhTFAM treatment for one month increased mitochondrial respiration in brain, heart and muscle, POLMRT expression and mtDNA gene transcription in brain, and PGC-1 alpha mitobiogenesis signaling in heart. RhTFAM treatment reduced oxidative stress damage to brain proteins, improved memory in Morris water maze performance and increased brain protein levels of BDNF and synapsin. Microarray analysis showed co-expression of multiple Gene Ontology families in rhTFAM-treated aged brains compared to young brains. RhTFAM treatment reverses age-related memory impairments associated with loss of mitochondrial energy production in brain, increases levels of memory-related brain proteins and improves mitochondrial respiration in brain and peripheral tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindar R Thomas
- Parkinson's Disease Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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Salih DAM, Rashid AJ, Colas D, de la Torre-Ubieta L, Zhu RP, Morgan AA, Santo EE, Ucar D, Devarajan K, Cole CJ, Madison DV, Shamloo M, Butte AJ, Bonni A, Josselyn SA, Brunet A. FoxO6 regulates memory consolidation and synaptic function. Genes Dev 2012; 26:2780-801. [PMID: 23222102 DOI: 10.1101/gad.208926.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The FoxO family of transcription factors is known to slow aging downstream from the insulin/IGF (insulin-like growth factor) signaling pathway. The most recently discovered FoxO isoform in mammals, FoxO6, is highly enriched in the adult hippocampus. However, the importance of FoxO factors in cognition is largely unknown. Here we generated mice lacking FoxO6 and found that these mice display normal learning but impaired memory consolidation in contextual fear conditioning and novel object recognition. Using stereotactic injection of viruses into the hippocampus of adult wild-type mice, we found that FoxO6 activity in the adult hippocampus is required for memory consolidation. Genome-wide approaches revealed that FoxO6 regulates a program of genes involved in synaptic function upon learning in the hippocampus. Consistently, FoxO6 deficiency results in decreased dendritic spine density in hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo. Thus, FoxO6 may promote memory consolidation by regulating a program coordinating neuronal connectivity in the hippocampus, which could have important implications for physiological and pathological age-dependent decline in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dervis A M Salih
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Shuman T, Cai DJ, Sage JR, Anagnostaras SG. Interactions between modafinil and cocaine during the induction of conditioned place preference and locomotor sensitization in mice: implications for addiction. Behav Brain Res 2012; 235:105-12. [PMID: 22963989 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2012] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Modafinil is a wake-promoting drug effective at enhancing alertness and attention with a variety of approved and off-label applications. The mechanism of modafinil is not well understood but initial studies indicated a limited abuse potential. A number of recent publications, however, have shown that modafinil can be rewarding under certain conditions. The present study assessed the reinforcing properties of modafinil using conditioned place preference and locomotor sensitization in mice. Experiment 1 examined a high dose of modafinil (75 mg/kg) as well as its interactions with cocaine (15 mg/kg). Cocaine alone and modafinil co-administered with cocaine induced sensitization of locomotor activity; modafinil alone showed little or no locomotor sensitization. Animals given modafinil alone, cocaine alone, and modafinil plus cocaine exhibited a strong and roughly equivalent place preference. When tested for sensitization using a low challenge dose of modafinil, cross-sensitization was observed in all cocaine-pretreated mice. Experiment 2 examined a low dose of modafinil that is similar to the dose administered to humans and has been shown to produce cognitive enhancements in mice. Low dose modafinil (0.75 mg/kg) did not produce conditioned place preference or locomotor sensitization. Together, these results suggest that modafinil has the potential to produce reward, particularly in cocaine addicts, and should be used with caution. However, the typical low dose administered likely moderates these effects and may account for lack of addiction seen in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Shuman
- Molecular Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, United States.
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Fernandes HA, Zanin KA, Patti CL, Wuo-Silva R, Carvalho RC, Fernandes-Santos L, Bittencourt LRA, Tufik S, Frussa-Filho R. Inhibitory effects of modafinil on emotional memory in mice. Neuropharmacology 2012; 64:365-70. [PMID: 22771974 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Revised: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Modafinil (MOD), a psychostimulant used to treat narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea, appears to promote a possible facilitatory effect on cognitive function. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the acute administration of MOD on the different steps of emotional memory formation and usage (acquisition, consolidation and retrieval) as well as the possible participation of the state-dependency phenomenon on the cognitive effects of this compound. Mice were acutely treated with 32, 64 or 128 mg/kg MOD before training or testing or immediately after training and were subjected to the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task. The results showed that although pre-training MOD administration did not exert any effects on learning, the doses of 32 or 64 mg/kg induced emotional memory deficits during testing. Still, the post-training acute administration of the higher doses of MOD (64 and 128 mg/kg) impaired associative memory consolidation. When the drug was administered pre-test, only the 32 mg/kg dose impaired the task retrieval. Importantly, the cognitive impairing effects induced by 32 mg/kg MOD were not related to the phenomenon of state-dependency. In all, our findings provide pre-clinical evidence of potential emotional memory amnesia induced by MOD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helaine A Fernandes
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Napoleão de Barros 925, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Garcia VA, Matos G, Tufik S, Scorza FA, Cavalheiro EA, Schröder N, Andersen ML. Demystifying the effect of modafinil in epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2012; 24:287. [PMID: 22559984 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.04.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Modafinil improves performance in the multiple T-Maze and modifies GluR1, GluR2, D2 and NR1 receptor complex levels in the C57BL/6J mouse. Amino Acids 2012; 43:2285-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1306-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Wood SC, Anagnostaras SG. Interdependence of measures in pavlovian conditioned freezing. Neurosci Lett 2011; 505:134-9. [PMID: 22005576 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Revised: 09/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Pavlovian conditioned freezing is an intensively utilized paradigm that has become a standard model of memory and cognition. Despite its widespread use, the interdependence among each measure commonly reported in fear conditioning studies has not been described. Using mice, we examine the relationship of each common freezing measure (Training Baseline, Post-Shock freezing, Contextual Fear, Tone Baseline, and Tone Fear), as well as baseline locomotor activity measures, to better understand the significance of each. Of particular interest, Post-Shock freezing appears to be a good measure of immediate contextual memory. In contrast, Tone Baseline freezing, as typically measured in a novel context, appears to be contaminated with multiple sources of fear. Finally, Contextual and Tone Fear show a weak interdependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne C Wood
- The Learning Lab, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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Lynch G, Palmer LC, Gall CM. The likelihood of cognitive enhancement. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 99:116-29. [PMID: 21215768 PMCID: PMC3114293 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2010] [Revised: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Whether drugs that enhance cognition in healthy individuals will appear in the near future has become a topic of considerable interest. We address this possibility using a three variable system (psychological effect, neurobiological mechanism, and efficiency vs. capabilities) for classifying candidates. Ritalin and modafinil, two currently available compounds, operate on primary psychological states that in turn affect cognitive operations (attention and memory), but there is little evidence that these effects translate into improvements in complex cognitive processing. A second category of potential enhancers includes agents that improve memory encoding, generally without large changes in primary psychological states. Unfortunately, there is little information on how these compounds affect cognitive performance in standard psychological tests. Recent experiments have identified a number of sites at which memory drugs could, in principle, manipulate the cell biological systems underlying the learning-related long-term potentiation (LTP) effect; this may explain the remarkable diversity of memory promoting compounds. Indeed, many of these agents are known to have positive effects on LTP. A possible third category of enhancement drugs directed specifically at integrated cognitive operations is nearly empty. From a neurobiological perspective, two plausible candidate classes have emerged that both target the fast excitatory transmission responsible for communication within cortical networks. One acts on nicotinic receptors (alpha7 and alpha4) that regulate release of the neurotransmitter glutamate while the other ('ampakines') allosterically modulates the glutamate receptors mediating the post-synaptic response (EPSCs). Brain imaging in primates has shown that ampakines expand cortical networks engaged by a complex task; coupled with behavioral data, these findings provide evidence for the possibility of generating new cognitive capabilities. Finally, we suggest that continuing advances in behavioral sciences provide new opportunities for translational work, and that discussions of the social impact of cognitive enhancers have failed to consider the distinction between effects on efficiency vs. new capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine CA 92697-4291, USA.
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Bobo WV, Woodward ND, Sim MY, Jayathilake K, Meltzer HY. The effect of adjunctive armodafinil on cognitive performance and psychopathology in antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Schizophr Res 2011; 130:106-13. [PMID: 21641776 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2011.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2011] [Revised: 05/17/2011] [Accepted: 05/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy, safety and tolerability of adjunctive armodafinil for cognitive performance, and negative and affective symptoms, were examined in 60 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. METHOD This was a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed dose trial of armodafinil (150 mg/d) augmentation in patients with clinically stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Cognition, psychopathology, alertness/wakefulness and adverse effects were assessed with standardized rating instruments. The primary endpoint was performance on measures of attention/vigilance. RESULTS Patients were randomly allocated to adjunctive armodafinil or placebo. There was a significant Drug×Time interaction effect for attention/vigilance, due to modest non-significant worsening in the armodafinil group and improvement in the armodafinil group [CPT-Pairs d', F(1,40)=6.2, p=0.017]. However, it became non-significant after correction for multiple comparisons. There were no differences between armodafinil and placebo in other cognitive domains or psychopathology measures. However, armodafinil was associated with significant improvement in the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) anhedonia-asociality [F(1,41)=4.1, p=0.05]. CONCLUSIONS There were no significant differences in neurocognitive measures between adjunctive armodafinil and placebo in this 6-week study. Armodafinil improved anhedonia-asociality, but not other negative symptom domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- William V Bobo
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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