Galanin impairs cognitive abilities in rodents: relevance to Alzheimer's disease.
The neuropeptide galanin and its receptors are localized in brain pathways mediating learning and memory. Central microinjection of galanin impairs performance of a variety of cognitive tasks in rats. Transgenic mice overexpressing galanin display deficits in some learning and memory tests. The inhibitory role of galanin in cognitive processes, taken together with the overexpression of galanin in Alzheimer's disease, suggests that galanin antagonists may offer a novel therapeutic approach to treat memory loss in Alzheimer's patients.
Crawley
J N
JN
Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Porter Neuroscience Research, Center Building 35, Room 1C-903, Mail Code 3730, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3730, USA. crawleyj@intra.nimh.nih.gov
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D019004:Galanin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats
D019004:Galanin