title: Noradrenergic stimulation enhances human action monitoring.
abstract: Noradrenergic neurotransmission has been associated with the modulation of higher cognitive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex. In the present study, the impact of noradrenergic stimulation on the human action-monitoring system, as indexed by event-related brain potentials, was examined. After the administration of a placebo or the selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, which stimulates firing in the locus ceruleus and noradrenaline release, electroencephalograpic recordings were obtained from healthy volunteers performing a letter flanker task. Yohimbine led to an increase in the amplitude of the error-related negativity in conjunction with a significant reduction of action errors. Reaction times were unchanged, and the drug did not modify the N2 in congruent versus incongruent trials, a measure of preresponse conflict, or posterror adjustments as measured by posterror slowing of reaction time. The present findings suggest that the locus ceruleus-noradrenaline system exerts a rather specific effect on human action monitoring.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Investigació de Medicaments, Institut de Recerca, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Departament de Farmacologia i Terapèutica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. jordi.riba@nat.uni-magdeburg.de
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Fornells
authors.forename: Adelaida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morte
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Münte
authors.forename: Manel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barbanoj
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D015016:Yohimbine; D009638:Norepinephrine