title: Effects of acute doses of oxiracetam in the scopolamine model of human amnesia.
abstract: The scopolamine model of amnesia has been used to test the pharmacodynamic efficacy of oxiracetam in 12 healthy volunteers. The subjects were divided into four experimental groups, according to a double-blind cross over incomplete randomized block design. After a baseline neuropsychological examination, each subject received in two separate sessions one of the following treatments, as acute oral doses: oxiracetam 800, 1600, 2400 mg or placebo. One hour after treatment scopolamine hydrobromide (0.5 mg) was given subcutaneously. The cognitive performance was tested before and 1, 2, 3 and 25 h after scopolamine administration. Scopolamine caused a deterioration of performance of verbal episodic memory, semantic memory and attention tests. In comparison to placebo, oxiracetam improved the overall test performance, with a statistically significant difference at the dose of 1600 mg on delayed recall of word lists, and showed dose-related antagonism of scopolamine-induced effects also on semantic memory and attention. The efficacy of an acute dose of oxiracetam in reducing scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment supports the potential usefulness of this pharmacological model of amnesia for studying the effects of cognition enhancers in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Milan, San Raffaele Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Preda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alberoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bressi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Canal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011932:Reading; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D012601:Scopolamine; C040619:oxiracetam