Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1992-9-8
pubmed:abstractText
Degeneration of the cholinergic magnocellular neurons in the basal forebrain and their cortical projections is a major feature of the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, two experiments examined the disruptive effects on visual attentional performance of two different manipulations that reduce central cholinergic function. In Expt. I, pharmacological manipulation of the cholinergic system was investigated using icv administration of hemicholinium (HC-3), a high affinity choline uptake blocker, administered either alone or in conjunction with the anticholinesterase, physostigmine. The results revealed impairments in the ability of the rats to localize brief visual targets in a serial reaction time task, as shown in particular by a reduction in choice accuracy and lengthening of the latency to respond correctly to the visual stimulus. Cholinergic specificity was supported by the reversal of these behavioural impairments by pre-treatment with the anticholinesterase, physostigmine. In Expt. II, quisqualate-induced lesions of the basal forebrain produced behavioural deficits at 3 weeks post-lesion surgery similar to those observed following icv infusion of HC-3. In an attempt to restore the extrinsic cortical cholinergic innervation by reinnervation of the deafferented cortex, embryonic basal forebrain cholinergic cells were transplanted into the cortex of lesioned animals. After three months recovery, impairments in performance on the baseline schedule of the task were no longer apparent in lesioned animals. However, behavioural deficits, observed predominantly as a lengthening of correct response latency, could be reinstated in the lesioned animals by interpolation of distracting bursts of white noise during each trial, and this deficit was ameliorated by the cholinergic grafts. Furthermore, a non-specific effect of both cholinergic and non-cholinergic grafts in controlling the increase in perseverative time-out responses which occurred as a result of the basal forebrain lesion was consistently observed. These results suggest that cholinergic dysfunction can produce deficits in visual attention which can be ameliorated by cholinergic treatments such as physostigmine or cholinergic-rich cortical grafts. These data provide support for a role for the basal forebrain-neocortical cholinergic projection in attentional function.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0014-4819
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
89
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
611-22
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-8-25
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Acetylcholine, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Analysis of Variance, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Attention, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Brain Tissue Transplantation, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Cerebral Cortex, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Cerebral Ventricles, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Choice Behavior, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Fetal Tissue Transplantation, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Hemicholinium 3, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Injections, Intraventricular, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Male, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Physostigmine, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Prosencephalon, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Quisqualic Acid, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Rats, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Rats, Inbred Strains, pubmed-meshheading:1644125-Reaction Time
pubmed:year
1992
pubmed:articleTitle
Attentional functions of the forebrain cholinergic systems: effects of intraventricular hemicholinium, physostigmine, basal forebrain lesions and intracortical grafts on a multiple-choice serial reaction time task.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't