Small molecule sulfonamides for vision and memory disorders

A method for treating a nerve-related vision disorder, improving vision, treating memory impairment, or enhancing memory performance in an animal in need thereof, which comprises administering to said animal an effective amount of a compound of formula I

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
• A is CH2, O, NH, or N-(C1-C4 alkyl);
• B and D are independently Ar, hydrogen, C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl, or C2-C6 straight or branched chain alkenyl,
• wherein said alkyl or alkenyl is unsubstituted or substituted with C5-C7 cycloalkyl, C5-C7 cycloalkenyl or Ar,
• and wherein one or two carbon atom(s) of said alkyl or alkenyl may be substituted with one or two heteroatom(s) independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, and SO2,
• or wherein said B or D is the fragment
• wherein Q is hydrogen, C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl, or C2-C6 straight or branched chain alkenyl;
• and
• T is Ar or C5-C7 cycloalkyl substituted at positions 3 and 4 with one or more substituent(s) independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, O-(C1-C4 alkyl), O-(C2-C4 alkenyl, and carbonyl,
• provided that both B and D are not hydrogen;
• Ar is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, benzyl, 1- naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, 2-furyl, 3-furyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2- pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, and monocyclic or bicyclic heterocyclic ring systems with individual ring sizes being 5 or 6 which contain in either or both rings a total of 1-4 heteroatoms independently selected from the group consisting of O, N, and S,
• wherein
• Ar contains 1-3 substituent(s) independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, nitro, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl, C2-C6 straight or branched chain alkenyl, O-(C1-C4 straight or branched chain alkyl), O-(C2-C4 straight or branched chain alkenyl), O-benzyl, O-phenyl, 1,2-methylenedioxy, amino, carboxyl, and phenyl;
• E is C1-C6 straight or branched chain alkyl, C2-C6 straight or branched chain alkenyl, C5-C7 cycloalkyl, C5-C7 cycloalkenyl substituted with C1-C4 straight or branched chain alkyl or C2-C4 alkenyl)-Ar, or Ar;
• J is hydrogen, C1 or C2 alkyl, or benzyl;
• K is C1-C4 straight or branched chain alkyl, benzyl, or cyclohexylmethyl;
• or J and K are taken together to form a 5-7 membered heterocyclic ring which may contain one or more oxygen, sulfur, SO, or SO2 heteroatoms therein;
• n is 0 to 3;
• and
• the stereochemistry at carbon positions 1 and 2 is R or S,
• wherein the nerve-related vision disorder is selected from the group consisting of visual impairments;
• orbital disorders;
• disorders of the lacrimal apparatus;
• disorders of the eyelids;
• disorders of the conjunctiva;
• disorders of the cornea;
• cataract;
• disorders of the uveal tract;
• disorders of the retina;
• disorders of the optic nerve or visual pathways;
• free radical induced eye disorders and diseases;
• immunologically-mediated eye disorders and diseases;
• physical injury to the eye;
• and symptoms and complications of eye disease, eye disorders, and eye injury.