Application of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine to conventional hippocampal slices caused a significant reduction of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited by single pulse stimulation to the medial perforant path. Similar but smaller effects were obtained in the lateral perforant path and other excitatory pathways within hippocampus. The reductions were blocke...

The authors investigated the effect of physostigmine (Ph) on short-term memory underlying the response-to-change test in rats. In the first test trial (acquisition) the rat could observe the white-black T-maze arms through transparent partitions which prevented the entrance to the arms. In the subsequent trial the rat was allowed a free choice between two identical maze arms, one of them being ...

The effects of somatosensory stimulation on the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) response were studied in unanesthetized monkeys before and after treatment with scopolamine and three cognitive enhancers (physostigmine, E2020 and tacrine) that inhibit cholinesterase, using 15O-labeled water and high-resolution positron emission tomography. Under control conditions, somatosensory stimulation i...

Modulation of the cholinergic neurotransmitter system results in changes in memory performance, including working memory (WM), in animals and in patients with Alzheimer disease. To identify associated changes in the functional brain response, we studied performance measures and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) in healthy subjects during performance of...

Survival under hypoxia (5% O2; 95% N2) was tested in mice 1 day to 50-weeks-old. Survival Rate (ratio of number of animals that survived 30 min under 5% O2 to total number of animals exposed) and the time from onset of exposure until the last gasp (Survival Time) were maximum in newborn animals and decreased as a function of age. Survival Rate and Survival Time were strongly influenced by drugs...

Exposure to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists has been demonstrated to induce neurodegeneration in newborn rats. However, in clinical practice the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as anesthetics and sedatives cannot always be avoided. The present study investigated the effect of the indirect cholinergic agonist physostigmine on neurotrophin expression and the extracellular matrix...

The present study compares behaviour-dependent and physostigmine-induced changes of the visual evoked potential (VEP) in unrestrained rats to provide further indications on the role of acetylcholine in the behavioural VEP modulation. On 30 rats the VEPs on the pial surface of the primary visual cortex were investigated during five spontaneous behavioural states. Physostigmine, carbachol and nic...

A case of toxic psychosis due to antihistamine poisoning is described. The reversal of this state by physostigmine supports the contention that it is caused by an anticholinergic syndrome. The management of antihistamine poisoning is discussed.

We examined whether behavioral and neural effects of repeating faces are modulated by independent factors of selective attention, emotion, and cholinergic enhancement, during functional MRI. Face repetition occurred either between task-relevant (spatially attended) or task-irrelevant (unattended) stimuli; faces could be fearful or neutral; subjects received either placebo or physostigmine. Unde...

WILSON, M. C. AND C. R. SCHUSTER. 67rolhlergic influence on intravenous cocaine self-administration by rhesus monkeys. PHARMAC. BIOCHEM. BEIIAV. 1(6) 643-649, 1973.-The effects of intramuscular administration of atropine, methylatropine and physostigmine on intravenous cocaine self-administration in the rhesus monkey were ascertained. Atropine (0.5-2.0 mg/kg) increased cocaine intake, whereas m...