A new assay for detection of changes in the synaptic expression of receptors relevant to learning and memory

Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent worldwide but despite the severity of this problem, there is still no appropriate solution available. Although there is a strong need for efficient new therapies to combat cognitive impairment, to date no assay has been developed to identify new potential drugs in a fast and effective way. This may explain the relatively slow advance in the area of cognitive enhancement drug discovery, as compared to cancer research, for example, which benefits from a variety of systematic on-going screenings. Nevertheless, there is evidence that activity-dependent changes in connectivity among neurons control cognitive function. We have developed a new assay to detect changes in the synaptic function without the use of electrophysiology or imaging. The proposed method is flexible, fast and cost-effective, and it is expected to have a strong clinical relevance.