Effects of methylphenidate on functional MRI blood-oxygen-level-dependent contrast.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to determine potential hemodynamic consequences of methylphenidate on functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast.


METHODS
BOLD and perfusion changes were recorded from the motor cortex of six healthy subjects while they performed flexion-extension movements of the right index finger (finger tapping) at varying rates before and after oral methylphenidate administration.


RESULTS
Functional MRI signals increased monotonically with faster movement rates. Subjects' heart rates increased modestly after methylphenidate administration, but no changes in finger tapping performance or functional MRI signals were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Methylphenidate does not alter BOLD neural-hemodynamic coupling. Consequently, functional MRI can be used to map neural systems that subserve cognitive operations (e.g., attention and executive processes) in subjects taking methylphenidate.
Rao
S M
SM
Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, USA. srao@mcw.edu
Salmeron
B J
BJ
Durgerian
S
S
Janowiak
J A
JA
Fischer
M
M
Risinger
R C
RC
Conant
L L
LL
Stein
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects*
D008774:Methylphenidate; D010100:Oxygen