Tetracyclic nitrogen bridgehead compounds, dibenzodiazecines and tricyclic quinazolinimines, in which the size of the alicyclic ring system and the length of the alkyl chain between the quinazolinimine moiety and a phenyl ring connected to the inline nitrogen atom were changed systematically, were synthesized and their ability to inhibit acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE), respectively, was evaluated. Moderate and strong inhibitors of BChE-compared to galanthamine and rivastigmine-were identified, which show mixed affinities or are moderately or highly selective towards BChE, respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.