Enhanced intrinsic neuronal excitability by suppression of

KCNQ/M-current for cognitive deficits

KeWei Wang

Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University School of Medicine, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191

The underlying causes of cognitive deficits are heterogeneous and multi-factorial.  The current dominant paradigm for the development of treatments for cognitive deficits is largely based on the specific mechanisms that underlie targeted therapies for these disorders.  Developing targeted therapies for each of the many causes of cognitive deficits will be a formidable task.  Yet, the outcome of the treatment or clinical trials is not desirable due to the fact that there are a large number of different causes for cognitive deficits including genetic heterogeneity or environmental factors such as brain injuries, neurological disorders or mental illness.  Thus, alternative strategies to globally ameliorate cognitive deficits by enhancement of neuronal excitability irrespective of their specific genetic or environmental cause can be a practical approach for general improvement on cognition.  This presentation focuses a subfamily of neuronal voltage-gated Kv7/KCNQ/M-channels specifically expressed in the brain that regulate neuronal excitability and action potential firing.  Suppression of Kv7/KCNQ/M-channel activity can present a powerful means of modulating neuronal activity for new therapy of cognitive deficits.