α7-Nicotinic Receptors and Cognition

Nicotinic alpha 7 receptors have been shown in a variety of studies with animal models to play important roles in diverse components of cognitive function, including learning, memory and attention. Mice with alpha 7 receptor knockouts show impairments in memory. Selective alpha 7 agonists significantly improve learning, memory and attention. alpha 7 receptors in limbic structures such as the hippocampus and amygdala have been demonstrated to play critical roles in memory. Blockade of alpha 7 receptors in these areas cause memory impairments. In the brains of people with schizophrenia alpha 7 receptors are impaired. This may be related to pronounced cognitive impairments seen with schizophrenia. There has been a major effort to develop alpha 7 nicotinic agonists for helping to reverse cognitive impairment. These receptors are a promising target for development of therapeutic treatments for a variety of diseases of cognitive impairment including Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.