Decker M W, McGaugh J L
Neuroscience Research Division, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois 60064.
Synapse. 1991 Feb;7(2):151-68. doi: 10.1002/syn.890070209.
Extensive evidence indicates that disruption of cholinergic function is characteristic of aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and experimental manipulation of the cholinergic system in laboratory animals suggests age-related cholinergic dysfunction may play an important role in cognitive deterioration associated with aging and AD. Recent research, however, suggests that cholinergic dysfunction does not provide a complete account of age-related cognitive deficits and that age-related changes in cholinergic function typically occur within the context of changes in several other neuromodulatory systems. Evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that interactions between the cholinergic system and several of these neurotransmitters and neuromodulators--including norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, GABA, opioid peptides, galanin, substance P, and angiotensin II--may be important in learning and memory. Thus, it is important to consider not only the independent contributions of age-related changes in neuromodulatory systems to cognitive decline, but also the contribution of interactions between these systems to the learning and memory deficits associated with aging and AD.
大量证据表明，胆碱能功能紊乱是衰老和阿尔茨海默病（AD）的特征，对实验动物胆碱能系统的实验性操作表明，与年龄相关的胆碱能功能障碍可能在与衰老和AD相关的认知衰退中起重要作用。然而，最近的研究表明，胆碱能功能障碍并不能完全解释与年龄相关的认知缺陷，而且胆碱能功能的年龄相关变化通常发生在其他几个神经调节系统变化的背景下。本文综述的证据表明，胆碱能系统与其中几种神经递质和神经调节剂（包括去甲肾上腺素、多巴胺、5-羟色胺、γ-氨基丁酸、阿片肽、甘丙肽、P物质和血管紧张素II）之间的相互作用可能在学习和记忆中起重要作用。因此，不仅要考虑神经调节系统中与年龄相关的变化对认知衰退的独立影响，还要考虑这些系统之间的相互作用对与衰老和AD相关的学习和记忆缺陷的影响，这一点很重要。
