Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Cholinergic modulation of a specific memory function of prefrontal cortex

Abstract

Deficits in prefrontal cholinergic function are implicated in cognitive impairment in many neuropsychiatric diseases, but acetylcholine's specific role remains elusive. Rhesus monkeys with selective lesions of cholinergic input to prefrontal cortex (PFC) were unimpaired in tests of decision making and episodic memory that require intact PFC, but were severely impaired on a spatial working memory task. These observations are consistent with a specific role for prefrontal acetylcholine in working memory.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Cholinergic lesions.
Figure 2: Task performance.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Johnson, J.K., Head, E., Kim, R., Starr, A. & Cotman, C.W. Arch. Neurol. 56, 1233–1239 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wilson, C.R., Gaffan, D., Browning, P.G. & Baxter, M.G. Trends Neurosci. 33, 533–540 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bartus, R.T. Exp. Neurol. 163, 495–529 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bierer, L.M. et al. J. Neurochem. 64, 749–760 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bartus, R.T. & Dean, R.L. III. Psychopharmacology (Berl.) 202, 15–36 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Parikh, V. & Sarter, M. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1129, 225–235 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Chudasama, Y., Dalley, J.W., Nathwani, F., Bouger, P. & Robbins, T.W. Learn. Mem. 11, 78–86 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Turchi, J., Saunders, R.C. & Mishkin, M. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 2158–2161 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Browning, P.G., Gaffan, D., Croxson, P.L. & Baxter, M.G. Cereb. Cortex 20, 282–293 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bachevalier, J. & Mishkin, M. Behav. Brain Res. 20, 249–261 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Baxter, M.G. & Voytko, M.L. Behav. Neurosci. 110, 898–904 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Egorov, A.V., Hamam, B.N., Fransen, E., Hasselmo, M.E. & Alonso, A.A. Nature 420, 173–178 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Furey, M.L., Pietrini, P. & Haxby, J.V. Science 290, 2315–2319 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schon, K. et al. J. Neurosci. 25, 9112–9123 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Robbins, T.W. & Arnsten, A.F. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 32, 267–287 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank D. Gaffan for advice and support, and C. Bergmann, G. Daubney, C. Rae and K. Murphy for technical assistance. This research was supported by a grant from the Wellcome Trust (M.G.B.).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

P.L.C. conducted behavioral testing, data analysis and wrote the manuscript. D.A.K. conducted the majority of the behavioral testing. M.G.B. designed the experiments, supervised all of the procedures and assisted with manuscript preparation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark G Baxter.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Text and Figures

Supplementary Figures 1 and 2, Supplementary Tables 1–3, Supplementary Methods, and Supplementary Results (PDF 9946 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Croxson, P., Kyriazis, D. & Baxter, M. Cholinergic modulation of a specific memory function of prefrontal cortex. Nat Neurosci 14, 1510–1512 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2971

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2971

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing