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Related Concept Videos

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions00:59

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

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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...
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Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

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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...
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Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions01:30

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

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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...
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Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship01:22

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Cholinergic agonists or cholinomimetics mimic the action of acetylcholine to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. They are categorized into direct-acting and indirect-acting agents. The direct-acting cholinergic drugs induce the parasympathetic response by directly binding to the muscarinic or nicotine receptors. In comparison, the indirect-acting cholinergic drugs prevent acetylcholine hydrolysis, indirectly contributing to the extended parasympathetic response.
The direct-acting...
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Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacokinetics01:31

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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...
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Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission01:23

Cholinergic Neurons: Neurotransmission

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Cholinergic neurotransmission involves the synthesis and the release of acetylcholine (ACh) in order to transmit nerve impulses across the synapse. The process begins with the synthesis of acetyl CoA, a precursor for ACh, from ATP, acetate, and coenzyme A in the mitochondria. Choline, another vital precursor, is transported inside the neuron through choline transporters, including high-affinity choline transporter CHT1, low-affinity choline transporter CTL1, and lower-affinity choline...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
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Cholinergic modulation of stimulus-driven attentional capture.

Muriel Boucart1, George Andrew Michael2, Giovanna Bubicco1

  • 1Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Affectives SCA-Lab, Université de Lille, CNRS, France.

Behavioural Brain Research
|January 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, worsened attentional capture by moving distractors in young adults. This suggests cholinergic pathways are crucial for reflexive attention, impacting cognitive function in degenerative diseases.

Keywords:
AcetylcholineAttentional captureDonepezilSuperior colliculusVisual attention

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Distraction poses challenges for individuals with degenerative diseases linked to reduced cholinergic activity.
  • Cholinergic pathways, particularly involving the brainstem and superior colliculus, are implicated in attention.
  • Understanding attentional capture mechanisms is vital for cognitive health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, on stimulus-driven attentional capture.
  • To explore the role of cholinergic signaling in bottom-up attention shifts.
  • To examine how motion-based distractors affect attention under donepezil administration.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 30 young male participants.
  • Participants performed a target localization task with or without a peripheral moving distractor (motion-jitter).
  • Donepezil or placebo was administered, and response times were measured to assess attentional capture effects.

Main Results:

  • Under placebo, moving distractors significantly slowed response times compared to static distractors, indicating a classical attentional capture effect.
  • Donepezil administration resulted in increased interference from moving distractors, exacerbating the attentional capture effect.
  • These findings suggest donepezil enhances the impact of salient peripheral stimuli on attention.

Conclusions:

  • Attentional capture in this paradigm likely involves low-level, automatic reflexive orienting mechanisms.
  • Cholinergic signals, originating from the brainstem and acting on nicotinic receptors, appear critical for this reflexive orienting.
  • The results highlight the role of cholinergic systems in modulating attention and suggest potential implications for cognitive function in conditions affecting these pathways.