title: No role of beta receptors in cognitive flexibility: Evidence from a task-switching paradigm in a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: There is evidence that noradrenergic coeruleo-cortical projections are involved in different forms of cognitive flexibility. So far, no studies in humans have investigated the involvement of beta receptors on task-switching performance, a well-established measure of cognitive flexibility. The present study investigated whether the administration of propranolol (a central and peripheral beta-adrenergic antagonist) affected switching costs (i.e., the increase of reaction time in task-switching trials relative to task-repetition trials). Sixteen healthy adult human subjects performed a global-local task-switching paradigm in a double-blind, within-subjects design study investigating the effects of 80mg of propranolol hydrochloride (a β1 and β2 adrenergic receptor antagonist) vs. an oral dose of microcrystalline cellulose (placebo pill). The acute administration of propranolol did not affect the size of switching costs compared to the intake of the neutral placebo. Our results, corroborated by Bayesian inference, suggest that beta receptors do not modulate cognitive flexibility as measured by task-switching performance.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: l.steenbergen@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sellaro
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Rover
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hommel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Colzato
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
keywords: beta receptors; cognitive flexibility; norepinephrine; task-switching