Alzheimer's disease in elderly COVID-19 patients: potential mechanisms and preventive measures.

Advanced age correlates with higher morbidity and mortality among patients affected with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Because systemic inflammation and neurological symptoms are also common in severe COVID-19 cases, there is concern that COVID-19 may lead to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this review, we summarize possible mechanisms by which infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, may cause AD in elderly COVID-19 patients and describe preventive measures to mitigate risk.

Repeated administration of aripiprazole produces a sensitization effect in the suppression of avoidance responding and phencyclidine-induced hyperlocomotion and increases D2 receptor-mediated behavioral function.

The present study investigated how repeated administration of aripiprazole (a novel antipsychotic drug) alters its behavioral effects in two behavioral tests of antipsychotic activity and whether this alteration is correlated with an increase in dopamine D2 receptor function. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were first repeatedly tested with aripiprazole (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg, subcutaneously (sc)) or vehicle in a conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test or a phencyclidine (PCP) (3.20 mg/kg, sc)-induced hyperlocomotion test daily for five consecutive days.

Asenapine sensitization from adolescence to adulthood and its potential molecular basis.

Asenapine is a new antipsychotic drug that induces a long-lasting behavioral sensitization in adult rats. The present study investigated the developmental impacts of adolescent asenapine treatment on drug sensitivity and on 3 proteins implicated in the action of antipsychotic drugs (i.e.

Repeated asenapine treatment produces a sensitization effect in two preclinical tests of antipsychotic activity.

Among several commonly used atypical antipsychotic drugs, olanzapine and risperidone cause a sensitization effect in the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) and phencyclidine (PCP)-induced hyperlocomotion paradigms--two well established animal tests of antipsychotic drugs, whereas clozapine causes a tolerance effect. Asenapine is a novel antipsychotic drug recently approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and manic disorders. It shares several receptor binding sites and behavioral features with other atypical antipsychotic drugs.