The cholinergic system exerts opposing effects on memory at different stages of disease progression in Alzheimer's and Down syndrome model systems - PubMed
11 hours ago
- #Alzheimer's disease
- #Down syndrome
- #cholinergic system
- The cholinergic system has opposing effects on memory at different stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS) progression.
- Early disease stages may involve excessive cholinergic signaling, while late stages show deficiency, challenging the traditional cholinergic hypothesis.
- Memory was restored in young AD and DS model mice with anticholinergic treatments but impaired in wild-type mice.
- Donepezil, which enhances cholinergic signaling, improved memory in old AD, DS, and wild-type mice but not in young AD and DS models.
- The study suggests a functional shift from cholinergic hyperactivity in early cognitive impairment to degeneration requiring enhancement in late stages.