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The cholinergic agent physostigmine enhances short-term-memory-based performance in the developing rat.

C A Castro·R Paylor·T B Moye·J W Rudy
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Abstract

There are age-related differences in the rat's short-term memory processes. Rats 24-25 days old are 90% correct when the delay interval separating the forced run and choice run of a trial is either 10 or 30 s, but they perform at chance when the delay interval is 60 s. In contrast, the choice performance of 30-day-old rats remains constant across all delay intervals. It is reported that the cholinergic agent physostigmine dramatically improved the short-term-memory-based performance of rats 24-25 days old such that they displayed no loss in choice accuracy even when the delay interval was 60 s. No such enhanced performance was seen in rats treated with neostigmine, a peripherally acting anticholinesterase. The results support the hypothesis that postnatal maturational differences in central cholinergic systems may contribute to age-related differences in short-term memory.

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Age FactorsAnimalsBrainDiscrimination LearningDose-Response Relationship, DrugFemaleMaleMemory, Short-TermOrientationPhysostigmineProblem SolvingRatsRats, Inbred StrainsReceptors, CholinergicJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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C A Castro, R Paylor, T B Moye, J W Rudy. 1990. The cholinergic agent physostigmine enhances short-term-memory-based performance in the developing rat.. https://doi.org/10.1037/%2F0735-7044.104.2.390

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