Abstract
Considerable evidence has been provided these last years for the involvement of the GABA-A receptor complex in memory processes. Compounds that enhance the action of GABA, such as benzodiazepines, impair memory processing. On the contrary, compounds that reduce the action of GABA, such as ß-CCM, pentylenetetrazol or picrotoxin, have the opposite action, that is : enhance memory processing. All these actions seem to focus mainly on the acquisition (learning) processes. Depending on the dose, the same compounds also have effects on anxiety and on seizuring. Benzodiazepines are well-known anxiolytic and anticonvulsant agents whereas compounds that reduce the action of GABA have been found to produce anxiogenic and convulsant actions. The GABA-A receptor complex might thus be the location of a possible link between a pathological state (epilepsy) and two normal functions (anxiety and learning). This link is likely to involve common genetic pathways. In the normal subject, these data also emphasize the idea that normal memory processing involves a moderate level of anxiety.
Keywords: gaba receptor complex, pentylenetetrazol, picrotoxin, learning, anxiety, epilepsy
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: GABA-A Receptor Complex and Memory Processes
Volume: 2 Issue: 8
Author(s): Georges Chapouthier and Patrice Venault
Affiliation:
Keywords: gaba receptor complex, pentylenetetrazol, picrotoxin, learning, anxiety, epilepsy
Abstract: Considerable evidence has been provided these last years for the involvement of the GABA-A receptor complex in memory processes. Compounds that enhance the action of GABA, such as benzodiazepines, impair memory processing. On the contrary, compounds that reduce the action of GABA, such as ß-CCM, pentylenetetrazol or picrotoxin, have the opposite action, that is : enhance memory processing. All these actions seem to focus mainly on the acquisition (learning) processes. Depending on the dose, the same compounds also have effects on anxiety and on seizuring. Benzodiazepines are well-known anxiolytic and anticonvulsant agents whereas compounds that reduce the action of GABA have been found to produce anxiogenic and convulsant actions. The GABA-A receptor complex might thus be the location of a possible link between a pathological state (epilepsy) and two normal functions (anxiety and learning). This link is likely to involve common genetic pathways. In the normal subject, these data also emphasize the idea that normal memory processing involves a moderate level of anxiety.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Chapouthier Georges and Venault Patrice, GABA-A Receptor Complex and Memory Processes, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2002; 2 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568026023393552
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568026023393552 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Artificial intelligence for Natural Products Discovery and Development
Our approach involves using computational methods to predict the potential therapeutic benefits of natural products by considering factors such as drug structure, targets, and interactions. We also employ multitarget analysis to understand the role of drug targets in disease pathways. We advocate for the use of artificial intelligence in predicting ...read more
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors as Brain Targets for Pharmacotherapy of Drug Addiction
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Implications of Prion Protein Biology
Current Neurovascular Research Simulating the Interactions of Toxins with K+ Channels
Current Pharmaceutical Design Autophagy Enhancer Carbamazepine Alleviates Memory Deficits and Cerebral Amyloid-β Pathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
Current Alzheimer Research Infectious Agents and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Exploring the Links
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry A Salicylic Acid-Based Analogue Discovered from Virtual Screening as a Potent Inhibitor of Human 20α-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase
Medicinal Chemistry Persons with Co-Existing Neurological Disorders: Risk Analysis, Considerations and Management in COVID-19 Pandemic
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Pharmacological Characterisation and Modulation of Neuroplasticity in Humans
Current Neuropharmacology Disrupted Structural Brain Network in AD and aMCI: A Finding of Long Fiber Degeneration
Current Alzheimer Research Editorial [Hot Topic: Ion Channels: Applications in Ion Channel Drug Discovery(Guest Editor: Douglas S. Krafte)]
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Recent Advances on Neural Tube Defects with Special Reference to Valproic Acid
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets The Changing Landscape of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels in Neurovascular Disorders and in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Current Neuropharmacology Transient Focal Lesions in the Splenium of the Corpus Callosum with Restricted Diffusion: An Enigma
Current Medical Imaging Subdural Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment of Intractable Focal Neocortical Epilepsy
Drug Delivery Letters Genetics and Genomics of Hepatic Acute Phase Reactants: A Mini-Review
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Innovation in Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Current Medical Imaging Editorial (Thematic Issue: Neurology and Genetics: How Molecular Biology is Changing the Neurological Thoughts?)
Current Molecular Medicine Patent Annotations
Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery Establishing Genomic/Transcriptomic Links Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Meta-Analysis Approach
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Development and Evaluation of an Anti-Epileptic Oral Fast-Dissolving Film with Enhanced Dissolution and In vivo Permeation
Current Drug Delivery