D-cycloserine, a novel cognitive enhancer, improves spatial memory in aged rats.
D-cycloserine, a partial agonist of the NMDA receptor-associated glycine site, can enhance cognition. The present experiment examines the behavioral effects of D-cycloserine on cognitive deficits in male Fischer-344 rats, 24 months old. Rats 24 months old (n = 42) received either vehicle or one of 3 doses of D-cycloserine prior to testing. Young rats, 4 months old (n = 13), received vehicle prior to testing. Place discrimination and repeated acquisition were tested in the water maze and a variety of sensorimotor tasks were given. Aging impaired performance in all tasks. D-cycloserine improved performance in place discrimination and repeated acquisition. No doses affected sensorimotor function. These results support the hypothesis that D-cycloserine has cognition enhancing properties and that it may be useful in treating disorders involving cognitive impairment.
Department of Psychology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218.
M G
MG
Baxter
T H
TH
Lanthorn
K M
KM
Frick
S
S
Golski
R Q
RQ
Wan
D S
DS
Olton
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003523:Cycloserine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
D003523:Cycloserine