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Related Concept Videos

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions00:59

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists exert their pharmacological actions by mimicking the effects of acetylcholine on postsynaptic muscarinic receptors to generate parasympathetic responses. These agents elicit a range of physiological responses, including cardiovascular effects. For example, activation of muscarinic receptors induces bradycardia, decreased cardiac output, reduced peripheral resistance, and consequent hypotension. In the eye, stimulation of M3 receptors leads to smooth muscle...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists have many therapeutic uses in various medical fields. Choline esters, including acetylcholine, have limited clinical utility due to their non-selectivity and short duration of action. Still, acetylcholine and carbachol are applied topically during ophthalmologic surgery to induce miosis. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic and ganglionic stimulator, effectively treats open-angle glaucoma and alleviates xerostomia and dry mouth caused by radiotherapy or Sjögren syndrome.
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions01:30

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists, also known as anticholinesterases, exert their pharmacological effects by enhancing cholinergic transmission in various body parts, including the neuromuscular junction, autonomic cholinergic synapses, and the brain.
At the neuromuscular junction, these agents work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, allowing it to remain bound to the receptor and bind to nearby receptors. This process leads to repetitive firing of the endplate, causing muscle...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics01:31

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists, such as synthetic choline esters and naturally occurring alkaloids, exert their effects by enhancing the actions of acetylcholine and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Synthetic choline esters share structural similarities with acetylcholine. For example, they have a positively charged quaternary ammonium or onium group, contributing to their hydrophilic characteristics. As a result, they are poorly absorbed in the body through oral...
Muscles of the Eye01:20

Muscles of the Eye

The muscles of the eye are sophisticated structures that control eye movement and focus, allowing for the precise and rapid adjustments necessary for vision. The human eye is controlled by ten muscles — six extraocular muscles, three intraocular muscles, and one primary eyelid retractor muscle.
Extraocular Muscles
The six extraocular muscles surround the eyeball and control its movements. They are responsible for a wide range of eye motions, including looking up, down, left, right, and rotating...
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action01:18

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action

Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists work by interacting with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic cleft. They can be reversible or irreversible inhibitors and have different effects on the enzyme.
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex, leading to...

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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation
10:41

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

A cholinergic mechanism for eye fixation.

Juan de Dios Navarro-López1, Javier Yajeya, José M Delgado-García

  • 1Department of Physiology, University College of London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.

Journal of Molecular Neuroscience : MN
|December 29, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Transient stimuli can cause persistent neural activity in the central nervous system, crucial for both working memory and maintaining body positions. This sustained firing is key to cognitive and motor functions.

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Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation
10:41

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • The central nervous system integrates transient inputs into persistent neural changes.
  • Persistent neural activity, characterized by sustained action potentials, is observed in various brain regions.
  • This activity underpins critical functions like short-term working memory and motor control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the mechanisms by which transient stimuli induce persistent neural activity.
  • To understand the role of persistent neural activity in cognitive and behavioral processes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on neural activity and memory.
  • Analysis of studies on motor command encoding and persistent firing patterns.

Main Results:

  • Transient motor commands and sensory stimuli can lead to sustained tonic firing rates.
  • Persistent neural activity is a common feature in prefrontal and entorhinal cortices.
  • Motor systems utilize bursts for movement and tonic firing for position maintenance.

Conclusions:

  • Persistent neural activity is fundamental for both cognitive functions, such as working memory, and behavioral processes, like maintaining fixation positions.
  • Understanding these neural dynamics is key to comprehending brain function.