The effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors on the spatial memory of rats with a nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesion: An animal model of Alzheimer's disease
Abstract
Lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm) in the rat result in cholinergic and cognitive deficits, similar to those observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pilot research revealed that rats with unilateral nbm lesions are delayed in learning the repeated acquisition task. This task permits long term assessment of the acquisition of reference and working spatial memory. The repeated acquisition task employs an eight arm radial maze and requires that the rat learn across ten trials, which four arms are baited with food reinforcers. Each session, a new set of four arms are selected. In the proposed research, a new AChE inhibitor 3-pyridinol dimethylcarbamate ("Norpyridostigmine") was administered to determine if acquisition of the task is enhanced and if working and reference memory were differentially affected. The effectiveness of Norpyridostigmine was compared to that of physostigmine, an established inhibitor. A range of doses of both inhibitors was administered, to elucidate each compounds dose response curve.
Subject Area
Psychobiology|Physiological psychology
Recommended Citation
Bach, Mary Elizabeth, "The effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors on the spatial memory of rats with a nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesion: An animal model of Alzheimer's disease" (1993). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9324612.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9324612
