JPH1059844A - Improving medicine for perception response function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an improving medicine for perception responsive function applied to not only improvement of perception function lowered by senility, dementia, cerebropathy, etc., but also development of the perception function of healthy subject without side effects by using a specific unsaturated fatty acid as an active ingredient. SOLUTION: This improving medicine for perception responsive function is obtained by using docosahexaenoic acid as an active ingredient. The improving medicine for the perception responsive function is useful as a medicine for improving an auditory stimulation. The medicine is also useful as a medicine concerning dementia, especially a remedy or a preventive for the dementia. Not only a free acid but also its salt, ester, glyceride, phospholipid, choline compound, ascorbic acid compound, amino acid compound, etc., are used as the docosahexaenoic acid. The formulation amount of the docosahexaenoic acid based on the improving medicine for perception responsive function is 10-100wt.%, preferably 50-100wt.%.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a drug for improving the cognitive response function of the brain, and more particularly, to a drug for improving the cognitive response function to auditory stimulation characterized by containing docosahexaenoic acid as an active ingredient.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the aging of the population in recent years, the development of drugs for dementia has become an increasingly important issue both medically and socially, and there is great expectation for excellent dementia-related drugs.

[0003] Docosahexaenoic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid contained in a large amount in excitable membranes of the brain and retina and is known to have an action of inhibiting the arachidonic acid cascade. In addition, it is known to have some useful physiological actions, such as a learning ability enhancer, a memory enhancer, a dementia prevention agent, a dementia treatment agent, an anti-dementia agent or a functional having an effect of improving brain function. Food etc. (JP-A-7-82146, JP-A-5-117147
No. 2, JP-A-2-49723). However, the effect of improving cognitive response function, that is, the component of the event-related potential evoked from the cerebrum when a human is given a stimulus such as vision, somatic sensation, or hearing, or when a human performs a task, There is no known effect of reducing the latency of the peak of P300, which is known as a physiological index reflecting function, and further normalizing the waveform by amplifying the event-related potential of dementia patients.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a cognitive response function-improving drug which rapidly improves response to a specific stimulus without side effects.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventors have conducted intensive studies in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, it has been found that administration of docosahexaenoic acid causes an event-related potential (ERP).
ial), which accelerates the peak latency of P300.
The present invention has been completed based on the new finding that the event-related potential of a dementia patient is amplified to improve and normalize its waveform. That is, the present invention relates to a cognitive response function improving drug containing docosahexaenoic acid as an active ingredient.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The drug for improving cognitive response function of the present invention comprises:
The present invention is applied not only to improvement of cognitive function reduced due to aging, dementia, brain disorder, etc., but also to improvement of cognitive function in healthy subjects. The docosahexaenoic acid in the present invention means free acids, salts, esters, glycerides, phospholipids, choline compounds, ascorbic acid compounds, amino acid compounds and the like. The oil containing docosahexaenoic acid preferably refers to an oil in which docosahexaenoic acid (as a free acid) accounts for 10% or more of the total fatty acids.

The cognitive response function improving agent of the present invention can be administered orally or parenterally for treatment. Oral preparations can be solid preparations such as powders, granules, capsules and tablets, or liquid preparations such as syrups and elixirs. In addition, injections can be prepared as parenteral administration agents. These preparations are prepared by adding pharmacologically and pharmaceutically acceptable production auxiliaries to the active ingredients to give known production methods, for example, the method described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 10th Edition, General Preparations, or appropriate improvements. It can be manufactured by a method. Furthermore, it is also possible to prepare a sustained-release preparation by a known technique. When using the production aid, the amount of docosahexaenoic acid (as a free acid) in the cognitive response function improving agent of the present invention is usually 10 to 100% by weight,
Preferably it is 50 to 100% by weight.

In the present invention, an event-related potential (ERP: Even
t related potential) is measured according to the evoked potential measurement guidelines set by the EEG EMG test committee,
The discrimination reaction time task was used. That is, 1000 Hz (1
0-20%) and 2000Hz (80-90%) random stimulus for 10 minutes
0msec, stimulus interval 2sec, stimulus intensity is minimum audible range plus 50
The sound of the db was presented to both ears through headphones, and when the target sound of 1000 Hz was heard, the sound was performed by pressing a button at hand. Leads to frontal (Frontal), central (Central), temporal
(Parietal) and occipital (Occipital) were performed from a total of eight places, and both earlobes were connected to form a reference electrode.

The identification of each wave of the event-related potential is based on the fact that the maximum negative potential between 80 and 250 msec from the start of the stimulus is regarded as an intrinsic component that reflects the automatic or controlled stimulus classification process.
The latent positive potential between 250 and 600 msec is considered to be an intrinsic component that fluctuates reflecting selective attention and cognitive function
Latency of P300.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples and Reference Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0011]

【Example】

Example 1 Twenty-one healthy subjects (Table 1) were measured for event-related potential (ERP) by the above-mentioned method, and then 20 capsules containing DHA triglyceride (150 mg / particle as DHA) were taken. , 2
After an hour, ERP measurement was performed again. The number of additions is 40,
The average addition was recorded separately for each of the target and standard stimuli, and the latency of N200 and P300 was determined. Table 2 shows the results. As a control for P300, a group that was highly responsive to DHA administration was extracted (n = 3), and the DHA
One month after the administration of No.1, the first measurement was performed without medication, and the second measurement of ERP was performed two hours later. Table 3 shows the results.

[0012]

[Table 1]

[0013]

[Table 2]

[0014]

[0015]

[Table 3]

From Table 2, it was observed that N200 was unchanged, but P300 had a shorter latency at any site. On the other hand, from Table 3, no change in latency was observed between the first measurement and the measurement 2 hours after no-medication. Therefore, administration of DHA in healthy subjects accelerated and shortened the latency of P300, indicating an improvement in cognitive response function.

Example 2 ERP was performed on a dementia patient in the same manner as in Example 1.
Was measured to determine the latency of N200 and P300. The results are shown in Table 4 and FIGS.

[0018]

[Table 4]

As is clear from Table 4 and FIGS.
The administration of the A capsule accelerated the latency of P300 and normalized the waveform of ERP. Therefore, a cognitive response improvement effect was also observed in dementia patients.

Reference Example 1 As subjects, healthy subjects having good responsiveness to DHA administration in Example 1 were extracted so as not to overlap with the control of P300 (n = 4). One month after the measurement for DHA administration, DHA was performed.
The ERP was measured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the triglyceride was replaced with EPA-ethyl ester capsules (epadel: purity 90%, 300 mg), and the latency of N200 and P300 was determined. Table 5 shows the results.

[0021]

[Table 5]

From Table 5, no change in the latency of P300 due to EPA administration was observed.

[0023]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION The cognitive response function-improving agent containing docosahexaenoic acid of the present invention as an active ingredient is useful for the event-related potential (ERP) P3 of healthy subjects and dementia patients.
Increases the peak latency of 00 and improves cognitive response. This improvement effect means not only improvement of cognitive function reduced by aging, dementia, brain disorder, etc., but also improvement of cognitive function in healthy subjects, and is useful as a preventive or therapeutic drug for dementia.

[0024]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows event-related potentials before administration of DHA triglyceride to dementia patients.

FIG. 2 shows event-related potentials after administration of DHA triglyceride to dementia patients.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cognitive response function improving drug comprising docosahexaenoic acid as an active ingredient. 2. The cognitive response function improving drug according to claim 1, wherein the cognition is for an auditory stimulus.