[Disorders of cognitive processes in simulation of Alzheimer's disease in monkeys]

Two groups of monkeys were learned to differentiate stimuli with different types of information and to make a spatial choice. Characteristics of the operative memory were revealed in the delayed differentiation tasks prior to and after administration of p75-saporin (I group) and saline (II group). For the first time the Alzheimer disease in monkeys was shown to entail a deficit of operative memory due to disorders in the sensory and cognitive components of the memory. The degree of reduction of the correct decision making was shown to depend on the delay duration and the type of visual information. Following the saline administration, no significant changes occurred in the monkeys (II group). The data obtained suggest that structural-functional organisation of the cholinergic and noradrenergic mechanisms predetermining the sensory processing, differs from those involved in decision-making.