SCH 57790 is a novel and selective muscarinic M(2) receptor antagonist that releases acetylcholine and enhances cognition in experimental animals for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

SCH 57790 (0.1-10 mg/kg; p.o.) produced dose-related increases in acetylcholine release from rat hippocampus, cortex, and striatum. SCH 57790 (0.003-1.0 mg/kg) increased retention times in young rat passive avoidance responding when given either before or after training. Also, SCH 57790 reversed scopolamine-induced deficits in mice in a passive avoidance task. In a working memory operant task in squirrel monkeys, administration of SCH 57790 (0.01-0.03 mg/kg) improved performance under a schedule of fixed-ratio discrimination with titrating delay. The effects observed with SCH 57790 in behavioral studies were qualitatively similar to the effects produced by the clinically used cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, suggesting that blockade of muscarinic M(2) receptors is a viable approach to enhancing cognitive performance.[2]