Objective: Parkia biglobossa stem bark decoction is a popular medicinal plant preparation used as calming agent for tensed patients in traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aqueous stem bark extract of Parkia biglobossa (AEPB) and its active fraction AEPBF3 on anxiety, spontaneous alternation behavior, and locomotor activity. The open field apparatus was use...

A. R. Potvin, Ph.D., J. W. Albers, M.D., Ph.D., B. S. Repa, Ph.D., W. G. Henderson, Ph.D., J. E. Walker, M.D., R. F. Stribley, M.S., R. W. Pew, Ph.D., and W. W. Tourtellotte, M.D., Ph.D. Los Angeles, GaUf., Arlington, Tex., Arnes, lowa, and Ann Arbor, Mich. Department of Neurology at Veterans Administration Wadsworth Hospital and University of Califomia at Los Angeles, Bibmedical Engineering Pr...

The pleasant subjective effects produced by alcohol undoubtedly reinforce drinking behaviour. Alcohol positively reinforces or rewards drinking by producing a mild euphoria. Alcohol also has anxiolytic effects that negatively reinforce drinking. The reinforcing effects of alcohol are mediated by several neurochemical systems, with dopamine and serotonin playing major roles in reward and the gam...

Increasing epidemiologic evidence suggests that metformin, a well-established AMPK activator and the most favorable first-line anti-diabetic drug, reduces stroke incidence and severity. However, the mechanism for this remains unclear. Moreover, previous experimental studies have reported controversial results about the effects of metformin on stroke outcomes during the acute phase. However, rec...

5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(4) receptor agonists reportedly stimulate brain acetylcholine (ACh) release, a property that might provide a new pharmacological approach for treating cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the binding affinities, functional activities, and effects on neuropharmacological responses associated with cognition of ...

Ketamine is a non-competitive glutamatergic antagonist used to induce sedation and analgesia. In sub-anesthetic doses, it induces hyperlocomotion, impairs memory and evokes stereotypic circling in rodents. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) emerged as a promising new animal model to screen the effects of psychotropic compounds. Here, we investigated the effects of sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine on anxie...

In this article we will review available evidence concerning the effects of forebrain catecholaminergic and cholinergic activity on verbal perseveration. The anatomy and physiology of these two major neuropharmacological systems make it likely that they influence speech and language functioning directly as well as the cognitive systems that have an indirect impact on speech and language functio...

BACKGROUND The neuropharmacological actions of antidepressants are well characterised but our understanding of how these changes translate into improved mood are still emerging. AIMS To investigate whether actions of antidepressant drugs on emotional processing are a mediating factor in the effects of these drugs in depression. METHOD We examined key published findings that explored the eff...