Patent ID: 6942963

Claim:
A method for identifying lead compounds for a pharmacological agent useful in the treatment of conditions associated with increased neuronal depolarization induced by the presence of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) aggregates, comprising providing a neuronal cell in a medium containing a potentiometric compound, wherein the influx into the neuronal cell of the potentiometric compound upon depolarization of the neuronal cell is detectable, forming a mixture comprising a Aβ containing a β-sheet forming domain, and a candidate pharmacological agent, incubating the mixture under conditions which, in the absence of the candidate pharmacological agent, permit the Aβ to aggregate, contacting the neuronal cell with the mixture, under conditions which, in the presence of Aβ aggregates, permit influx of a control amount of the potentiometric compound into the neuronal cell, and detecting the potentiometric compound as a measure of the relative depolarization of the neuronal cell, wherein detection of a lesser amount of potentiometric compound in the neuronal cell than is present when the neuronal cell is contacted with Aβ aggregates indicates that the candidate pharmacological agent is a lead compound for a pharmacological agent which disrupts Aβ aggregation.