[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Support: Cephalon, Inc.
Title: Armodafinil improves short term/working memory in a rat social recognition test
Authors: *A. M. DICAMILLO, J. R. MATHIASEN, M. GASIOR, M. J. MARINO;
CNS Biol., Cephalon, Inc., West Chester, PA
Abstract: Armodafinil is the R-enantiomer of modafinil, a novel wake-promoting agent
indicated to improve wakefulness in adult patients with excessive sleepiness associated with
narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome, and shift work sleep disorder. There is
evidence from both rodent and human studies (Minzenberg and Carter, Neuropsychopharmacol;
doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301534) indicating that modafinil improves working memory and cognitive
function. The rat social recognition model is a facile assay of short term/working memory where
the social memory of an adult rat for a juvenile rat decreases as the time interval between
presentations of the same juvenile rat is increased, e.g., an inter-trial interval (ITI) of 120 min. A
ratio of investigational duration (trial 2/trial 1) was used as a measure of memory retention or
loss. Robust memory loss was demonstrated in controls at a 120-min ITI. Armodafinil
administered 30 min prior to trial 2 improved the short term/working memory of adult rats at 3,
10 and 30 mg/kg, i.p. (30 min pretreatment; ANOVA, Dunnett‟s post hoc test p < 0.05). A
separate group of control adult rats treated with 3 or 30 mg/kg, i.p. armodafinil and then exposed
to novel juvenile rats in trial 2 did not exhibit any change in investigational behavior, indicating
that the effects observed with familiar juvenile rats reflected an enhancement of shortterm/working
memory. The effect of armodafinil contrasts to that of the psychostimulant damphetamine,
which improved memory at low doses (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min
pretreatment; ANOVA, Dunnett‟s post hoc test p < 0.05) but disrupted investigational behavior
at 3.0 mg/kg i.p. as reflected in reduced exploration of novel juvenile rats. These data suggest
that armodafinil produces a dose-dependent enhancement of short term/working memory in rats
without producing a psychostimulant-like disruption of behavior.
Disclosures: A.M. DiCamillo, Cephalon, Inc., A. Employment (full or part-time); Cephalon,
Inc. (Armodafinil), C. Other Research Support (receipt of drugs, supplies, equipment or other inkind
support); Cephalon, Inc., E. Ownership Interest (stock, stock options, patent or other
intellectual property); J.R. Mathiasen, Cephalon, Inc., A. Employment (full or part-time);
Cephalon, Inc., E. Ownership Interest (stock, stock options, patent or other intellectual property);
M. Gasior, Cephalon, Inc., A. Employment (full or part-time); M.J. Marino, Cephalon, Inc., A.
Employment (full or part-time).
Poster
291. Animal Cognition and Behavior: Learning and Memory: Pharmacology II
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm