Neuropeptide MSH/ACTH 4-10 enhances attention in the mentally retarded.
Twenty adult mentally retarded men were randomly assigned to receive MSH/ACTH 4-10 or a vehicle control solution in a double blind procedure. After an intravenous injection the subjects were presented with an orienting sequence and a series of behavioral tests. Treatment with the peptide resulted in a significant decelerative heart rate response during the test stimulus of the orienting sequence. Improved performance of the intradimensional and extradimensional shift of a visual discrimination procedure was significant for subjects receiving MSH/ACTH 4-10. The pattern of response on the subproblem analysis of the extradimensional shift reflected greater dimensional attention in the subjects treated with the peptide. Attentive subjects given MSH/ACTH 4-10 evidenced significant improvement on a rhythm matching test, a test of spatial localization and a visual retention test. The data were interpreted as indicating that the peptide resulted in improved attention of stimulus processing. It was speculated that MSH/ACTH 4-10 may be unquely coded for perceptor/attentional functioning and may be useful as a treatment for disorders of attention.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000503:physiopathology; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D012193:Reversal Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014785:Vision, Ocular
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones