title: Piracetam improves cognitive performance by restoring neurochemical deficits of the aged rat brain.
abstract: In order to test the hypothesis that piracetam improves cognitive functions by restoring biochemical deficits of the aging brain, we investigated the effects of piracetam treatment (300 mg/kg daily for 6 weeks) on the active avoidance performance of young and aged rats. After testing, the rats were killed and membrane fluidity and NMDA as well muscarinic cholinergic receptor densities were determined in the frontal cortex, the hippocampus, the striatum, as well as the cerebellum. Piracetam treatment improved active avoidance learning in the aged rats only and elevated membrane fluidity in all brain regions except the cerebellum in the aged animals. Moreover, we observed a positive effect of piracetam treatment on NMDA receptor density in the hippocampus and on muscarinic cholinergic receptor densities in the frontal cortex and the striatum and to a lesser extent in the hippocampus. Again, these effects were only observed in aged animals. Discrimination analysis indicated that piracetam effects on membrane fluidity in the frontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the striatum and its effects on NMDA densities in the hippocampus might be involved in its positive effects on cognitive performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scheuer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rostock
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D010889:Piracetam