Noradrenergic neuromodulation of human attention for emotional and neutral stimuli.
BACKGROUND
Norepinephrine (NE) has a regulatory role in human attention.


OBJECTIVE
To examine its role in emotional modulation of attention, we used an attentional blink (AB) paradigm, in the context of psychopharmacological manipulation, where targets were either emotional or neutral items.


CONCLUSIONS
We report behavioural evidence that beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol impairs attention independent of target valence. Furthermore, this effect is centrally mediated as administration of the peripheral beta-adrenergic antagonist nadolol did not impair attention. By contrast, increasing NE tone, using the selective NE reuptake inhibitor reboxetine, improves detection of emotional stimuli.


CONCLUSIONS
In line with theoretical and animal models, these findings provide human behavioural evidence that the adrenergic system has a modulatory influence on selective attention that in some instances depends on item valence.
Functional Imaging Laboratory, Institute of Neurology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK. b.martino@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk
Benedetto
B
De Martino
Bryan A
BA
Strange
Raymond J
RJ
Dolan
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D054518:Attentional Blink / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009248:Nadolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077593:Reboxetine; D012660:Semantics
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D009025:Morpholines; D009248:Nadolol; D000077593:Reboxetine; D011433:Propranolol; D009638:Norepinephrine