Imidazo�1,2-a! pyridinyldiacid compounds for cognitive enhancement and

Abstract

A class of imidazo�1,2-a!pyridinyldiacid compounds is described for cognitive enhancement and for treatment of cognitive disorders and which have activity as a cognitive enhancer. Such compounds are also useful to reduce neurotoxic injury associated with anoxia or ischemia which typically follows stroke, cardiac arrest or perinatal asphyxia. The treatment includes administration of a compound of this class alone or in a composition in an amount effective as an agonist or partial agonist to modulate, or as an antagonist to inhibit, excitotoxic actions at major neuronal excitatory amino acid receptor sites. Compounds of most interest are those of the formula: ##STR1## wherein each R.sup.20 is independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl; wherein each of Y.sub.m and Y.sub.n is a spacer group selected from methylene and ethylene radicals; wherein m is an integer of one or two; wherein n is an integer of from zero to two; wherein X is one or more groups independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halo, haloalkyl, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl and alkanoyl; or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof.