Gallagher M, Colombo P J
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1995 Apr;5(2):161-8. doi: 10.1016/0959-4388(95)80022-0.
The concept that memory loss in ageing might be attributable to deficiencies in cholinergic function was first proposed two decades ago. This proposal gained additional definition when pathology was found in the basal forebrain cholinergic system of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and substantial deterioration of these neurons was detected in several animal models of ageing. A recently developed method for selectively removing basal forebrain cholinergic neurons using an immunotoxin provides a powerful tool for examining the function of the basal forebrain cholinergic system. This review will address new information that has come from this approach, with an emphasis on understanding the contribution of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons to age-related cognitive impairment.
二十年前首次提出衰老过程中的记忆丧失可能归因于胆碱能功能缺陷这一概念。当在阿尔茨海默病患者的基底前脑胆碱能系统中发现病理改变，并且在几种衰老动物模型中检测到这些神经元的显著退化时，这一观点得到了进一步明确。最近开发的一种使用免疫毒素选择性去除基底前脑胆碱能神经元的方法，为研究基底前脑胆碱能系统的功能提供了一个强大的工具。本综述将阐述来自该方法的新信息，重点是了解基底前脑胆碱能神经元对与年龄相关的认知障碍的作用。
