Patent ID: 6365126
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
A method for screening a pharmaceutical agent for its ability to treat a short term memory defect in an animal, wherein the short term memory defect is associated with a defect in the Neurofibromatosis 1 protein, comprising:a) administering said pharmaceutical agent to an animal with a short term memory defect associated with a defect in the Neurofibromatosis 1 protein; b) training said animal treated in step a) under conditions appropriate to produce short term memory formation in said animal; c) assessing short term memory formation in said animal trained in step b); and d) comparing short term memory formation assessed in step c) with short term memory formation produced by the training protocol of step b) in a control animal to which said pharmaceutical agent has not been administered, wherein the pharmaceutical agent is identified as one having the ability to treat said short term memory defect in said animal if short term memory formation assessed in step c) is greater than short term memory formation produced in said control animal.