Question

Explain how a drug will function as a cognitive enhancer, if it up regulates AMPA & NMDA receptors that allow a maximal sodium influx and minimizes calcium influx.

Answer 1

Research works have shown that a drug will act as a cognitive enhancer only by stimulating NMDA receptors. Stimulation of NMDA receptors will lead to increase in calcium influx which will create a cascade. This cascade will lead its way up to the AMPA receptors for stimulation. This calcium influx will help in increasing neuroplasticity or neural connections thereby increasing long term potentiation. At this point, a drug can be called as a cognitive enhancer. Now, if the drug will not allow calcium influx then cognitive deficit is what will be found here than becoming a cognitive enhancer. This is because calcium influx is very much important for exhibiting cognition to the max which is lacking here.