Cerlapirdine is primarily investigated for its potential in treating cognitive impairments associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. It functions as a 5-HT6 receptor antagonist, which helps modulate neurotransmitter activity in the brain, particularly enhancing cholinergic and glutamatergic signaling. This mechanism supports improvements in memory, learning, and overall cognitive function. In clinical development, cerlapirdine showed promise in improving cognitive performance in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, especially when used as an adjunct to standard acetylcholinesterase inhibitor therapy. Although further development was discontinued, it contributed valuable insights into the therapeutic targeting of 5-HT6 receptors for cognitive enhancement.