Cognition Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cognition, including details on psychology, neuroscience, memory, brain theory.

5-HT6 receptors: a novel target for cognitive enhancement.

Mitchell ES, Neumaier JF

University of Washington, Box 359911, Harborview Medical Center, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.

Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the role of serotonin 6 (5-HT6) receptors in higher cognitive processes such as memory. Polymorphisms of the 5-HT6 receptor have been implicated in syndromes that affect cognition, such as schizophrenia and dementia. Manipulation of 5-HT6 receptor activity alters the transmission of several neurotransmitters important in memory: acetylcholine and glutamate, as well as dopamine, ã-aminobutyric acid (GABA), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE). Several 5-HT6 antagonists have been developed, advancing the understanding of the relationship between 5-HT6 blockade and memory consolidation in diverse learning paradigms. There is also evidence that 5-HT6 receptor activity affects anxiety behaviors and may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Several clinically useful atypical antipsychotics and antidepressants have 5-HT6 affinity, but recently developed selective 5-HT6 receptor antagonists may present attractive, new therapeutic options for several types of disease states.

Published 1 December 2005 in Pharmacol Ther, 108(3): 320-33.
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