Cognitive models and cholinergic drugs

This paper reviews the use of cognitive models in human psychopharmacology to examine the role of the cholinergic system in memory and attention. We suggest that while studies of attention have continued to keep pace with developments in psychology, few studies have been reported which selectively test memory functions specified by current cognitive models of memory. We report the work from our laboratory which has demonstrated effects of cholinergic blockade on attention and memory, with particular emphasis on the work examining selective cholinergic mediation in working memory.