The effects of dopamine on components of working memory.

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目旨在了解多巴胺（DA）和高级认知功能之间的关系，包括工作记忆（WM）和执行控制。将在具有不同程度WM能力的健康人类受试者中探索DA激动剂对依赖于这些高级认知功能的任务的影响。多巴胺和WM之间的关系是复杂的，DA激动剂的作用取决于基线WM容量。这种关系将使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）在健康的年轻人后，多巴胺受体激动剂的管理，研究DA在认知效率和自上而下的调制的作用进行调查。作为更大研究的一部分，正电子发射断层扫描（PET）神经化学成像也将用于研究DA对认知的这些影响的药理学机制。DA对多种神经行为障碍如帕金森病、注意缺陷多动障碍、精神分裂症和药物成瘾的病因学具有根本重要性。进一步了解DA和认知之间的关系，应该推进我们对这些疾病中认知和行为缺陷的机制的理解，并提供针对特定神经递质系统的药物治疗这种缺陷的新方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project is directed towards understanding the relationship between dopamine (DA) and higher cognitive function, including working memory (WM) and executive control. The effects of DA agonists on tasks that depend on these higher cognitive functions will be explored in healthy human subjects with varying degrees of WM capacity. The relationship between dopamine and WM is complex, with the effects of DA agonists depending on baseline WM capacity. This relationship will be investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy young individuals after the administration of a dopamine agonist to study the role of DA in cognitive efficiency and top-down modulation. As part of a larger study, positron emission tomography (PET) neurochemical imaging will also be utilized to study pharmacological mechanisms underlying these effects of DA on cognition. DA is of fundamental importance to the etiology of a wide variety of neurobehavioral disorders such as Parkinson's disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia and drug addiction. A further understanding of the relationship between DA and cognition should advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive and behavioral deficits in these disorders and provide insight into novel approaches to treating such deficits with medications targeted at specific neurotransmitter systems.