The alpha-2A noradrenergic receptor agonist guanfacine improves visual object discrimination reversal performance in aged rhesus monkeys.
Administration of either low or high doses of the alpha-2A adrenergic agonist guanfacine (GFC) to aged monkeys has been shown to improve performance of the delayed-response task, a task linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Monkeys treated with higher guanfacine doses also appeared less disinhibited, suggesting enhanced ventromedial-orbital PFC (vmPFC) function. To test this hypothesis, the current study examined the effects of low versus high doses of GFC on reversal of a visual object discrimination task, a task particularly sensitive to vmPFC lesions. The results of this study showed that high (0.1 mg/kg) but not low (0.00001-0.001 mg/kg) doses of GFC significantly improved reversal performance in aged monkeys. These results may be relevant to GFC's calming effects in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Steere
J C
JC
Section of Neurobiology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut 06510-8001, USA.
Arnsten
A F
AF
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D016316:Guanfacine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012193:Reversal Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2; D016316:Guanfacine; D009638:Norepinephrine