Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dysfunction in Addiction and in Some Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Diseases

The cholinergic system plays an essential role in brain development, physiology, and pathophysiology. Herein, we review how specific alterations this system, through genetic mutations or abnormal receptor function, can lead to aberrant neural circuitry that triggers disease. focuses on the nicotinic acetylcholine (nAChR) its addiction neurodegenerative neuropsychiatric diseases epilepsy. Cholinergic dysfunction is associated with inflammatory processes mainly involvement of α7 nAChRs expressed peripheral immune cells. Evidence suggests these neuroinflammatory trigger aggravate pathological states. We discuss preclinical evidence demonstrating therapeutic potential nAChR ligands Alzheimer disease, Parkinson schizophrenia spectrum disorders, autosomal dominant sleep-related hypermotor PubMed Google Scholar bibliographic databases were searched keywords indicated below.