The effect of aniracetam on the performance of pigeons in the delayed matching-to-sample task.

Abstract

Cognitive enhancing drugs are an exciting area of research that is constantly developing. Much of the research, however, has focused on restoring memory following some sort of disruption. Aniracetam is a positive AMPA-receptor modulator that has shown a lot of promise for improving memory when there is some dysfunction, but has gained mixed results in neurologically healthy subjects. The aim of the present study was to add to the current literature and examine the effects of aniracetam on short-term memory, specifically in the delayed matching-to-sample (DMS) task in neurologically healthy pigeons. It was hypothesized that aniracetam would improve matching accuracy on the DMS task in a dosedependent manner. Pigeons were administered aniracetam via IM injection for the first part of the study, and orally for the second part of the study, either 30 or 60 minutes prior to testing on the DMS task. Aniracetam did not have a facilitative effect on matching accuracy, nor did it affect response latency. These findings add to the growing evidence that, while effective at improving memory function in models of impaired memory, aniracetam does not improve memory in healthy individuals.