Patent ID: 8771935

Claim:
A method comprising: 1) screening a plurality of compounds for potential development as-candidate cognitive enhancer compounds by 2) determining the ability of said compounds to enhance cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (CREB) pathway function wherein said screening and determining comprises the steps of: a) contacting cells of neural origin comprising an indicator gene operably linked to a cAMP response element (CRE) promoter with a test compound and with a suboptimal dose of a CREB function stimulating agent simultaneously or sequentially, wherein said CREB function stimulating agent is forskolin; b) determining indicator activity in said cells of neural origin which have been contacted with said test compound and with said CREB function stimulating agent, wherein said CREB function stimulating agent is forskolin; c) determining indicator activity in said cells of neural origin which have been contacted with said CREB function stimulating agent alone, wherein said CREB function stimulating agent is forskolin; d) determining indicator activity in said cells of neural origin which have been contacted with said test compound alone; and e) determining indicator activity in said cells of neural origin which have not been contacted with said test compound or said CREB function stimulating agent, wherein said CREB function stimulating agent is forskolin; f) comparing the indicator activity determined in each of steps b) through e) g) selecting said test compound if: i) the indicator activity determined in step b) is significantly increased relative to the indicator activity determined in step c); and ii) the indicator activity determined in step d) is not significantly different relative to the indicator activity determined in step e); h) repeating steps a) to g) with a range of different concentrations of said test compound selected in step g); and i) selecting said test compound if: i) the indicator activity determined in step b) is significantly increased relative to the indicator activity determined in step c); and ii) the indicator activity determined in step d) is not significantly different relative to the indicator activity determined in step e) in the range of different concentrations of said test compound, and 3) identifying said test compound as a candidate cognitive enhancer compound if said test compound is selected in steps g) and i).