Attention-modulating effects of cognitive enhancers

Abstract

Attention can be readily measured in experimental animal models. Animal models of attention have been used to better understand the neural systems involved in attention, how attention is impaired, and how therapeutic treatments can ameliorate attentional deficits. This review focuses on the ways in which animal models are used to better understand the neuronal mechanism of attention and how to develop new therapeutic treatments for attentional impairment. Several behavioral test methods have been developed for experimental animal studies of attention, including a 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), a signal detection task (SDT), and a novel object recognition (NOR) test. These tasks can be used together with genetic, lesion, pharmacological and behavioral models of attentional impairment to test the efficacy of novel therapeutic treatments. The most prominent genetic model is the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Well-characterized lesion models include frontal cortical or hippocamapal lesions. Pharmacological models include challenge with the NMDA glutamate antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801), the nicotinic cholinergic antagonist mecamylamine and the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist scopolamine. Behavioral models include distracting stimuli and attenuated target stimuli. Important validation of these behavioral tests and models of attentional impairments for developing effective treatments for attentional dysfunction is the fact that stimulant treatments effective for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as methylphenidate (Ritalin®), are effective in the experimental animal models. Newer lines of treatment including nicotinic agonists, α4β2 nicotinic receptor desensitizers, and histamine H3 antagonists, have also been found to be effective in improving attention in these animal models. Good carryover has also been seen for the attentional improvement of nicotine in experimental animal models and in human populations. Animal models of attention can be effectively used for the development of new treatments of attentional impairment in ADHD and other syndromes in which have attentional impairments occur, such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

Methylphenidate and environmental enrichment ameliorate the deleterious effects of prenatal stress on attention functioning

“…MPH, PS + MPH, EE + MPH, and PS + EE + MPH) were treated with MPH. Five days later (at PND 95), following the clearance of MPH from the CNS (Aoyama et al, 1990;Devilbiss et al, 2006;Wargin et al, 1983), rats were tested for two types of attention: selective attention tested in the object recognition (OR) task (Braida et al, 2013;Levin et al, 2011) and partial sustained attention tested in the pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) test (Zubedat et al, 2014). In order to monitor changes in anxiety-like behaviors, rats were tested in the open field (OF) and startle response tests.…”

Hunting and hallucinogens: The use psychoactive and other plants to improve the hunting ability of dogs

“…By combining the phytochemical data with the ethnobotanical reports of plants use, we classified each species into a likely pharmacological category. Twenty six are Zingiber officinale ( Calixto et al (1998), 41 Anonymous (2009b), 42 Kubec & Musah (2001), 43 Alécio et al (1998), 44 Michel et …”

“…Acetylcholine plays a key role in sustained attention in both serial reaction time and signal detection tasks. The muscarinic cholinergic antagonist scopolamine substantially impairs accuracy of subjects in the tests (Levin et al 2011). Aghajanian and Marek (1999) argue that the effects of hallucinogens on glutamatergic transmission in the cerebral cortex may be responsible for higher-level cognitive, perceptual, and affective distortions.…”

Whole Body Vibration Improves Attention and Motor Performance in Mice Depending on the Duration of the Whole-Body Vibration Session

“…The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that attention to a novel object is improved by WBV, and this test served as primary outcome measure. Selective attention can be assessed in mice by way of a novel object recognition task (Levin et al, 2011;Braida et al, 2013). A Balance beam test was used as secondary outcome measure to examine the impact of WBV on motor performance.…”