PIPERIDINE-BENZENESULFONAMIDE DERIVATIVES

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO COMPOUNDS OF THE GENERAL FORMULA WHEREIN R(¹)IS LOWER ALKYL, -(CH2)N-ARYL, UNSUBSTITUTED OR SUBSTITUTED BY ONE OR TWO SUBSTITUENTS, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALKYL, LOWER ALKOXY, -OCF(3), HALOGEN, -NR'R'' OR TRIFLUOROMETHYL,OR IS HETEROARYL; R² IS LOWER ALKYL, -(CH(2))(N)-ARYL, UNSUBSTITUTED OR SUBSTITUTED BY ONE OR TWO SUBSTITUENTS, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALKYL, LOWER ALKOXY, HALOGEN, TRIFLUOROMETHYL, NITRO, CYANO, -NR'RR'', HYDROXY, OR BY A HETEROARYL GROUP, OR IS HETEROARYL, UNSUBSTITUTED OR SUBSTITUTED BY ONE OR TWO SUBSTITUENTS, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALKYL OR HALOGEN; R³ IS HETEROARYL OR IS ARYL, UNSUBSTITUTED OR SUBSTITUTED BY HALOGEN OR LOWER ALKYL;. R4IS HYDROGEN OR HYDROXY; A IS -S(O)(2)- OR -C(O)-: X,YARE INDEPENDENTLY FROM EACH OTHER -CH(2)- OR -O-, WITH THE PROVISO THAT X AND Y ARE NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY -O-; R'RR'' ARE INDEPENTLY FROM EACH OTHER HYDROGEN, LOWER ALKYL OR -C(O)- LOWER ALKYL; N IS 0, 1 OR 2; AND TO PHARMACEUTICALLY ACCEPTABLE ACID ADDITION SALTS THEREOF. THE COMPOUNDS MAY BE USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOSES, PAIN, DISFUNCTION IN MEMORY AND LEARNING, SCHIZOPPPHRENIA, DEMENTIA AND OTHER DISEASES IN WHICH COGNITIVE PROCESSES ARE IMPAIRED, SUCH AS ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS OR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.