Cariprazine, a dopamine D 3 -receptor-preferring partial agonist, blocks phencyclidine-induced impairments of working memory, attention set-shifting, and recognition memory in the mouse

Rationale A major challenge in the pharmacological treatment of psychotic disorders is the effective management of the associated cognitive dysfunctions. Novel concepts emphasize a potential benefit of partial agonists acting upon dopamine D2-like receptors in ameliorating these cognitive deficits, and pre-clinical studies suggest that D3-receptor-preferring compounds can exert pro-cognitive effects.