Intestinal drugs are proven to enhance memory and cognitive abilities

A group of researchers discovered that an existing drug used to treat constipation may improve our thinking ability, thereby bringing the development of drugs to treat cognitive problems in patients with mental illness one step closer to us

Severe mental illness can have a devastating impact on the lives of patients

Previous animal studies have shown that drugs targeting serotonin receptors (5-HT4 receptors) are expected to improve cognitive function (serotonin is a neurotransmitter targeted by SSRI antidepressants)

Forty-four healthy volunteers aged 18-36 participated in the trial

Demonstrating the working meeting of the European Institute of Neuropsychopharmacology in Lisbon (published simultaneously, see below), the lead researcher, Angharad de Cates, PhD from Oxford University said, “Participants who took prucalopride for 6 days performed better than those who received placebo on memory tests; The Lopril group recognized 81% of previously viewed images, compared with 76% in the placebo group

Researchers found that compared with volunteers who took placebo, volunteers who took procarpine had significantly better memory tests after the scan, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans showed that the Increased activity in related brain regions

Dr.

Angharad de Cates said: “This is a proof-of-concept study and therefore a starting point for further investigations

Proclopride is a 5-HT4 agonist, mainly used for constipation

Dr.

"This study highlights a very interesting and much-needed potential for reusing drugs to help cognitive dysfunction.

In line with the ECNP report, this work was published today in the peer-reviewed journal Translational Psychiatry (DOI 10.

This work was announced at the 34th ECNP Annual Conference, which was held in Lisbon from October 2 to 5, and was announced online, see https://

DOI

10.

A travel stipend