Memory Functioning In Children Research Articles

Deficiency of GABA-ergic inhibition due to early postnatal cycloheximide treatment corrected by pyracetam

Important indications for the use of pyracetam* are disturbances of memory functions in children exposed in the antenatal or early postnatal period to toxic influences. Since we know that proteins and nucleic acids play an important role in learning processes, and that pyracetam has a favorable effect on these processes, to analyze the mechanism of action of this drug early postnatal interference with protein metabolism is particularly interesting. In young rats the period between the 6th and 8th days after birth is characterized by a rapid increase in the number of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex [5, 7]~ and by maximal rates of protein, RNA, and DNA Synthesis [9, i0]. The degree of development of GABA receptors toward the end of the first week is 25% of that in adults [6]. However, the increase in activity of the GABA shunt enzymes, glutamate decarboxylase and succinicsemialdehyde dehydrogenase [13], which takes place at the 6th-8th days of ontogeny, creates conditions for maturation of the GABA system.