Editing Scopolamine (section)

== Research ==
Scopolamine is used as a research tool to study memory encoding. Initially, in human trials, relatively low doses of the muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine were found to induce temporary cognitive defects.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Drachman DA, Leavitt J | title = Human memory and the cholinergic system. A relationship to aging? | journal = Archives of Neurology | volume = 30 | issue = 2 | pages = 113–121 | date = February 1974 | pmid = 4359364 | doi = 10.1001/archneur.1974.00490320001001 }}</ref> Since then, scopolamine has become a standard drug for experimentally inducing cognitive defects in animals.<ref name = "Hasselmo_1997">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hasselmo ME, Wyble BP | title = Free recall and recognition in a network model of the hippocampus: simulating effects of scopolamine on human memory function | journal = Behavioural Brain Research | volume = 89 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 1–34 | date = December 1997 | pmid = 9475612 | doi = 10.1016/s0166-4328(97)00048-x | s2cid = 584350 }}</ref><ref name = "More_2016">{{cite journal | vauthors = More SV, Kumar H, Cho DY, Yun YS, Choi DK | title = Toxin-Induced Experimental Models of Learning and Memory Impairment | journal = International Journal of Molecular Sciences | volume = 17 | issue = 9 | pages = 1447 | date = September 2016 | pmid = 27598124 | pmc = 5037726 | doi = 10.3390/ijms17091447 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Results in primates suggest that [[acetylcholine]] is involved in the encoding of new information into long-term memory.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ridley RM, Bowes PM, Baker HF, Crow TJ | title = An involvement of acetylcholine in object discrimination learning and memory in the marmoset | journal = Neuropsychologia | volume = 22 | issue = 3 | pages = 253–263 | year = 1984 | pmid = 6431311 | doi = 10.1016/0028-3932(84)90073-3 | s2cid = 7110504 }}</ref> Scopolamine has been shown to exert a greater impairment on [[episodic memory]], [[event-related potential]]s, [[memory retention]] and [[free recall]] compared to [[diphenhydramine]] (an anticholinergic and [[antihistamine]]).<ref name="Differentiating the effects of cent">{{cite journal | vauthors = Curran HV, Pooviboonsuk P, Dalton JA, Lader MH | title = Differentiating the effects of centrally acting drugs on arousal and memory: an event-related potential study of scopolamine, lorazepam and diphenhydramine | journal = Psychopharmacology | volume = 135 | issue = 1 | pages = 27–36 | date = January 1998 | pmid = 9489931 | doi = 10.1007/s002130050482 | s2cid = 9872819 }}</ref>

Scopolamine produces detrimental effects on short-term memory, memory acquisition, learning, visual recognition memory, [[Visuospatial function|visuospatial]] praxis, visuospatial memory, visuoperceptual function, [[verbal recall]], and psychomotor speed.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Flicker C, Serby M, Ferris SH | title = Scopolamine effects on memory, language, visuospatial praxis and psychomotor speed | journal = Psychopharmacology | volume = 100 | issue = 2 | pages = 243–250 | date = February 1990 | pmid = 2305013 | doi = 10.1007/bf02244414 | s2cid = 24645744 }}</ref><ref name = "Hasselmo_1997" /><ref name = "More_2016" /> It does not seem to impair recognition and memory retrieval, though.<ref name = "More_2016" /> Acetylcholine projections in hippocampal neurons, which are vital in mediating long-term potentiation, are inhibited by scopolamine.<ref name = "More_2016" /><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lisboa SF, Vila-Verde C, Rosa J, Uliana DL, Stern CA, Bertoglio LJ, Resstel LB, Guimaraes FS | title = Tempering aversive/traumatic memories with cannabinoids: a review of evidence from animal and human studies | journal = Psychopharmacology | volume = 236 | issue = 1 | pages = 201–226 | date = January 2019 | pmid = 30604182 | doi = 10.1007/s00213-018-5127-x | s2cid = 58655082 }}</ref> Scopolamine inhibits cholinergic-mediated glutamate release in hippocampal neurons, which assist in depolarization, potentiation of action potential, and synaptic suppression. Scopolamine's effects on acetylcholine and glutamate release in the hippocampus favor retrieval-dominant cognitive functioning.<ref name = "More_2016" /> Scopolamine has been used to model the defects in cholinergic function for models of [[Alzheimer's]], dementia, [[fragile X syndrome]], and Down syndrome.<ref name = "More_2016" /><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Qin M, Zeidler Z, Moulton K, Krych L, Xia Z, Smith CB | title = Endocannabinoid-mediated improvement on a test of aversive memory in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome | journal = Behavioural Brain Research | volume = 291 | pages = 164–171 | date = September 2015 | pmid = 25979787 | pmc = 5003021 | doi = 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.003 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Lott IT | title = Down Syndrome: From Understanding the Neurobiology to Therapy | chapter = Neurological phenotypes for Down syndrome across the life span | series = Progress in Brain Research | volume = 197 | pages = 101–21 | date = 2012 | pmid = 22541290 | doi = 10.1016/b978-0-444-54299-1.00006-6 | pmc=3417824| isbn = 978-0-444-54299-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Lagalwar S, Bordayo EZ, Hoffmann KL, Fawcett JR, Frey WH | title = Anandamides inhibit binding to the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor | journal = Journal of Molecular Neuroscience | volume = 13 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 55–61 | date = 1999 | pmid = 10691292 | doi = 10.1385/jmn:13:1-2:55 | s2cid = 22731716 }}</ref>

Scopolamine has been identified as a [[psychoplastogen]], which refers to a compound capable of promoting rapid and sustained [[neuroplasticity]] in a single dose.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Olson DE | title = Psychoplastogens: A Promising Class of Plasticity-Promoting Neurotherapeutics | journal = Journal of Experimental Neuroscience | volume = 12 | pages = 1179069518800508 | date = 19 September 2018 | pmid = 30262987 | doi = 10.1177/1179069518800508 | pmc = 6149016 | s2cid = 52877093 }}</ref> It has been and continues to be investigated as a rapid-onset [[antidepressant]], with many small studies finding positive results, particularly in female subjects.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Drevets WC, Zarate CA, Furey ML | title = Antidepressant effects of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist scopolamine: a review | journal = Biological Psychiatry | volume = 73 | issue = 12 | pages = 1156–1163 | date = June 2013 | pmid = 23200525 | pmc = 4131859 | doi = 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.09.031 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hasselmann H | title = Scopolamine and depression: a role for muscarinic antagonism? | journal = CNS & Neurological Disorders Drug Targets | volume = 13 | issue = 4 | pages = 673–683 | date = 2014 | pmid = 24938776 | doi = 10.2174/1871527313666140618105710 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Jaffe RJ, Novakovic V, Peselow ED | title = Scopolamine as an antidepressant: a systematic review | journal = Clinical Neuropharmacology | volume = 36 | issue = 1 | pages = 24–26 | date = 2013 | pmid = 23334071 | doi = 10.1097/wnf.0b013e318278b703 | s2cid = 19740245 }}</ref><ref name="pmid27270172">{{cite journal | vauthors = Wohleb ES, Wu M, Gerhard DM, Taylor SR, Picciotto MR, Alreja M, Duman RS | title = GABA interneurons mediate the rapid antidepressant-like effects of scopolamine | journal = The Journal of Clinical Investigation | volume = 126 | issue = 7 | pages = 2482–2494 | date = July 2016 | pmid = 27270172 | pmc = 4922686 | doi = 10.1172/JCI85033 }}</ref>

[[NASA]] agreed to develop a nasal administration method. With a precise dosage, the NASA spray formulation has been shown to work faster and more reliably than the oral form to treat motion sickness.<ref>{{cite press release | title=NASA Signs Agreement to Develop Nasal Spray for Motion Sickness | website=NASA | date=26 July 2023 | url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-signs-agreement-to-develop-nasal-spray-for-motion-sickness/ | access-date=21 June 2024 | archive-date=15 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615023409/https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-signs-agreement-to-develop-nasal-spray-for-motion-sickness/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Although a fair amount of research has been applied to scopolamine in the field of medicine, its [[hallucinogenic]] (psychoactive) effects as well as the psychoactive effects of other antimuscarinic [[deliriants]] have not been extensively researched or as well understood compared to other types of hallucinogens such as [[psychedelic drugs|psychedelic]] and [[Dissociatives|dissociative]] compounds, despite the alkaloid's long history of usage in mind-altering plant preparations.<ref name="pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov">{{cite journal | vauthors = Volgin AD, Yakovlev OA, Demin KA, Alekseeva PA, Kyzar EJ, Collins C, Nichols DE, Kalueff AV | title = Understanding Central Nervous System Effects of Deliriant Hallucinogenic Drugs through Experimental Animal Models | journal = ACS Chemical Neuroscience | volume = 10 | issue = 1 | pages = 143–154 | date = January 2019 | pmid = 30252437 | doi = 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00433 | s2cid = 52824516 }}</ref>