Abstract
Cholinergic mechanisms have been shown to function in normal memory storage and retrieval processes, and have also been implicated in age-related memory loss. Cholinergic agonists, such as physostigmine, have been shown to improve certain aspects of long-term memory in humans (Davis et al., 1978). Choline chloride, a precursor of acetylcholine, was reported to produce some behavior improvement in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (Boyd et al., 1977). In contrast, anticholinergics, such as scopolamine, induce cognitive impairments (Sitaram et al., 1978) similar to the cognitive deficits seen in patients with senile dementia (Drachman and Leavitt, 1974). It has been suggested that the long-term administration of cholinergic agents might benefit patients with age-related memory impairments. Recently choline chloride was administered to a group of elderly subjects with mild to moderate memory loss in order to assess the effect of choline on memory functioning (Mohs et al., 1978). This chapter reports preliminary results of electrophysiological testing performed on this same group of subjects. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of choline on the human electroencephalogram (EEG) and to relate these findings to any cognitive changes that might result from the use of this drug.
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© 1979 Plenum Press, New York
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Pfefferbaum, A., Davis, K.L., Coulter, C.L., Mohs, R.C., Kopell, B.S. (1979). Electrophysiological Effects of Choline Chloride in Elderly Subjects. In: Davis, K.L., Berger, P.A. (eds) Brain Acetylcholine and Neuropsychiatric Disease. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2934-3_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2934-3_21
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