open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/90368

Nicotine promotes the utility of short-term memory during visual search in macaque monkeys

英語

Nonhuman primate

2022-09-01

Springer

Psychopharmacology

239(9)

3019-3029

Rationale The central cholinergic system is a major therapeutic target for restoring cognitive functions. Although manipulation of cholinergic signaling is known to alter working memory (WM), the underlying mechanism remains unclear. It is widely accepted that WM consists of multiple functional modules, one storing short-term memory and the other manipulating and utilizing it. A recently developed visual search task and a relevant model can be used to assess multiple components of WM during administration of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-related substances. Objectives The effects of systemic administration of AChR-related agents on WM and eye movements were examined during the oculomotor foraging task. Methods Three monkeys performing the task received an intramuscular injection of saline or the following AChR-related agents: nicotine (24 or 56 mu g/kg), mecamylamine (nicotinic AChR antagonist, 1.0 mg/kg), oxotremorine (muscarinic AChR agonist, 3.0 mu g/kg), and scopolamine (muscarinic AChR antagonist, 20 mu g/kg). The task was to find a target among 15 identical objects by making eye movements within 6 s. The data were analyzed according to the foraging model that incorporated three parameters. Results Nicotine and mecamylamine significantly increased the utility but not the capacity of short-term memory, while muscarinic AChR-related agents did not alter any WM parameters. Further regression analyses with a mixed-effect model showed that the beneficial effect of nicotine on memory utility remained after considering eye movement variability, but the beneficial effect of mecamylamine disappeared. Conclusions Nicotine improves visual search, mainly by increasing the utility of short-term memory, with minimal changes in oculomotor parameters.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06186-6

0033-3158