From anticholinesterase toxicity to Alzheimer's disease: important interactions of cholinergic and NMDA receptor systems.

The article highlighted in this issue is "Dizocilpine Improves Beneficial Effects of Cholinergic Antagonists in Anticholinesterase-Treated Mice," by Andrzej Dekundy, Rafal M. Kaminski, and Waldemar A. Turski (pp. 289-295). It explores the relationship between cholinergic and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors as mediators of anticholinesterase toxicity. The following review summarizes these findings and discusses their broader implications for central nervous system pharmacology. Alzheimer's disease is discussed as an example of how knowledge of the interactions between NMDA and cholinergic receptors may lead to a better understanding of human disease.