The effects of dopamine on components of working memory.

描述(申请人提供)：这个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。DA激动剂对依赖于这些较高认知功能的任务的影响将在具有不同程度WM能力的健康受试者中进行探索。多巴胺和WM之间的关系是复杂的，DA激动剂的效果取决于基线WM容量。在服用多巴胺激动剂后，将使用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)在健康年轻人身上研究这种关系，以研究DA在认知效率和自上而下调节中的作用。作为一项更大的研究的一部分，正电子发射断层扫描(PET)神经化学成像也将被用于研究DA对认知的这些影响的药理学机制。DA对帕金森氏症、注意力缺陷多动障碍、精神分裂症和药物成瘾等多种神经行为障碍的病因学具有重要意义。进一步了解DA和认知之间的关系将促进我们对这些疾病认知和行为缺陷的机制的理解，并为针对特定神经递质系统的药物治疗此类缺陷的新方法提供洞察力。

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.