# AGING, ATTENTION, AND BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTOR LIGANDS

> **NIH NIH R01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 1991 · $114,913

## Abstract

The proposed research will focus on two different interactions between
benzodiazepine receptor ligands and age-related behavioral and neuronal
changes.  First, although benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRa) are the
most often used psychotropic drugs in the elderly, and are known to
impair cognitive abilities, their interactions with age-related
behavioral and neuronal changes have yet to be characterized.  The
proposed research will test the hypotheses that BZRa and aging act
synergistically to compromise attentional abilities.  We will determine
whether this interaction is based on the GABAergic innervation of
functionally declining cholinergic neurons originating in the basal
forebrain and innervating cortex.  Second, benzodiazepine receptor
ligands that exert effects opposite to BZRa (i. e. , benzodiazepine
receptor antagonists/ partial inverse agonists) have been demonstrated to
attenuate behavioral impairments associated with disruptions in
cholinergic systems.  The proposed research will extend these findings to
the attentional impairments associated with normal aging, and will test
the hypothesis that the beneficial behavioral effects of such treatments
are mediated via an increase in cortical acetylcholine release.  These
effects are presumably based on an inhibition of normal GABA-cholinergic
interactions in the basal forebrain.  These experiments will employ
computerized operant conditioning techniques for the testing of
attentional abilities in rats of different ages, systemic and
intracranial administration of drugs in freely moving animals, and
microdialysis for the measurement of cortical acetylcholine release.
Thus, the proposed research will contribute to the understanding of the
behavioral and neuronal consequences of the use of BZRa in the elderly,
and will outline the behavioral and neuronal potential of a novel
pharmacological approach for the treatment of age-related cognitive
impairments.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122138
- **Project number:** 1R01AG010173-01
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** DLWBSLWAJWR1
- **Principal Investigator:** MARTIN F SARTER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $114,913
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1991-06-01 → 1994-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122138

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122138, AGING, ATTENTION, AND BENZODIAZEPINE RECEPTOR LIGANDS (1R01AG010173-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122138. Licensed CC0.

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