ABSTRACT
Cholinergic transmission mediated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is found throughout the entire body. In the central nervous system (CNS), ACh plays key roles in processes underlying cognitive functions, arousal, reward, motor control, and analgesia, and in the periphery cholinergic transmission regulates a wide range of basic physiological functions, such as cardiac function, glandular secretion, gastrointestinal motility, and smooth muscle contraction. This chapter will focus on the therapeutic potential in central cholinergic neurotransmission, particularly when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Following a short introduction to the etiology of AD, the symptoms of the disease, and the different lines of research pursued in the eld (Section 16.1), the complexity of cholinergic neurotransmission will be outlined (Section 16.2) and the three cholinergic protein classes predominantly pursued as drug targets for the treatment of AD and other CNS disorders will be presented (Sections 16.3 through 16.5).
