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Cognitive performance of healthy young rats following chronic donepezil administration

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Abstract

Rationale

Experimental studies have investigated the effects of chronic donepezil treatment on the behavioral deficits elicited by reduced activity or the loss of cholinergic neurons that occurs in aging or in models of dementia. However, few studies have analyzed the effects of chronic donepezil treatment on the cognitive functions of intact animals.

Objectives

The cognitive functions of healthy young rats treated chronically with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil were evaluated using a wide behavioral test battery.

Results

Chronic treatment with donepezil ameliorated memory functions and explorative strategies, speeded up the acquisition of localizing knowledge, augmented responsiveness to the context, and reduced anxiety levels. However, it did not affect spatial span, modify motivational levels, or influence associative learning.

Conclusions

The present findings show the specific profile of donepezil action on cognitive functions in the presence of unaltered cholinergic neurotransmission systems.

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Acknowledgments

Donepezil was generously gifted by Eisai, Inc. This study was supported by MIUR grants to LP. None of the authors has a conflict of interest.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors has any conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy

    Debora Cutuli, Francesca Foti, Laura Mandolesi, Paola De Bartolo, Francesca Gelfo, Francesca Federico & Laura Petrosini

  2. University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy

    Laura Mandolesi & Francesca Gelfo

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Debora Cutuli, Francesca Foti, Paola De Bartolo & Laura Petrosini

  4. University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Francesca Federico

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  1. Debora Cutuli
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  2. Francesca Foti
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  3. Laura Mandolesi
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  4. Paola De Bartolo
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  5. Francesca Gelfo
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  6. Francesca Federico
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  7. Laura Petrosini
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Correspondence to Laura Petrosini.

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Cutuli, D., Foti, F., Mandolesi, L. et al. Cognitive performance of healthy young rats following chronic donepezil administration. Psychopharmacology 197, 661–673 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-008-1084-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-008-1084-0

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