Amide compounds for the potentiation of cholinergic activity

1. A compound, or a salt thereof, of the formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 are taken together to form pentenylene condensed with benzene optionally substituted with lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, phenyl or halogen,

X is CH,

Y is —NH—, and

Q is

and

R 3 is phenyl substituted with halogen, phenylamino substituted with halogen, or pyridyl.

2. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein

R 1 and R 2 are taken together to form pentenylene which is condensed with benzene, and

R 3 is phenyl which is substituted with halogen.

3. The compound according to claim 1 , which is (R)-4-fluoro-N-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)benzamide.

4. A process for preparing a compound of claim 1 , or a salt thereof, of the formula:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , Q, X and Y are defined in claim 1 ; said process comprising:

reacting a compound of the formula:

or its salt with a compound of the formula:

HO-Q-R 3   [III]

or its reactive derivative at the carboxy group,

or a salt thereof to provide a compound of the formula:

or its salt, in the above formulas,

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and Q are each as defined in claim 1 .

5. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 , as an active ingredient, in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable, substantially non-toxic carrier or excipient.

6. A method for manufacturing a medicament comprising admixing the compound of claim 1 with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.

7. A solvate or enclosure compound of the compound of claim 1 .

8. A method for the treatment of amnesia, dementia, senile dementia, Alzheimer's dementia, dementia associated with various diseases, cerebral vascular dementia, cerebral post-traumatic dementia, dementia due to brain tumor, dementia due to chronic subdural hematoma, dementia due to normal pressure hydrocephalus, post-meningitis dementia, Parkinson's disease type dementia, schizophrenia, depression, stroke, head injury, nicotine withdrawal, spinal cord injury, anxiety, pollakiuria, incontinence of urine, myotonic dystrophy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, Parkinson's disease, or autism, comprising administering an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said effective amount ranges from 0.1 mg/body to 1,000 mg/body.

10. A method for the treatment of schizophrenia which comprises administering an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.

11. A method for the treatment of amnesia which comprises administering an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.

12. A method for the treatment of dementia, senile dementia or Alzheimer's dementia which comprises administering an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 to a subject in need thereof.