Training to criterion in eyeblink classical conditioning in Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome with Alzheimer's disease, and healthy elderly

Behav Neurosci. 1996 Feb;110(1):22-9. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.110.1.22.

Abstract

The cholinergic antagonist scopolamine delays acquisition of eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) in rabbits and humans, but scopolamine-treated organisms eventually acquire conditioned responses (CRs). Patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and older adults with Down's syndrome (DS/AD) have disrupted cholinergic systems and perform EBCC very poorly. It was hypothesized that patients with probable AD and DS/AD, like scopolamine-injected organisms, would acquire CRs if given sufficient training. Twelve probable AD patients, 12 DS/AD patients, and 6 healthy elderly control individuals participated in 5 daily 90-trial sessions of EBCC. Fifty-eight percent of the probable AD, 92% of the DS/AD, and 100% of the control participants achieved learning criterion. Probable AD, DS/AD, and control participants had statistically significant increases in the percentage of CRs produced over 5 EBCC sessions. The neural substrate for EBCC was not eliminated in probable AD or DS/AD patients, although the learning mechanism was disrupted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
  • Alzheimer Disease / psychology*
  • Blinking* / physiology
  • Cholinergic Fibers / physiology
  • Conditioning, Classical* / physiology
  • Conditioning, Eyelid* / physiology
  • Down Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Down Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Down Syndrome / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reference Values
  • Retention, Psychology / physiology