Anatoxin-a is a very powerful nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist and as such has been extensively studied for medicinal purposes. It is mainly used as a pharmacological probe in order to investigate diseases characterized by low acetylcholine levels, such as muscular dystrophy, Myastenia gravis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Further research on anatoxin-a and other less potent analogues are being tested as possible replacements for acetylcholine.