Neuroscience. Boosting working memory.
Working out which areas of the brain become activated during the formation of working (short-term) memory has been greatly helped by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a Perspective, Robbins et al. discuss new findings (Furey et al.) with fMRI that reveal how working memory is enhanced by the drug physostigmine, which increases cholinergic function in the brain.
Robbins
T W
TW
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK. twr2@cus.cam.ac.uk
Mehta
M A
MA
Sahakian
B J
BJ
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005145:Face; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D010830:Physostigmine; D000109:Acetylcholine