Open AccessCortical effects of bromocriptine, a D‐2 dopamine receptor agonist, in human subjects, revealed by fMRI
Author(s) -
Kimberg Daniel Y.,
Aguirre Geoffrey K.,
Lease Jessica,
D'Esposito Mark
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0193(200104)12:4<246::aid-hbm1019>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - bromocriptine , functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroscience , dopaminergic , psychology , dopamine , dopamine receptor , dopamine receptor d2 , agonist , cognition , working memory , prefrontal cortex , dopamine agonist , receptor , medicine , hormone , prolactin
Studies of human subjects performing cognitive tasks on and off dopaminergic drugs have suggested a specific role of dopamine in cognitive processes, particularly in working memory and prefrontal “executive” functions. However, the cortical effects of these drugs have been poorly understood. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine both task‐specific and general changes in cortical activity associated with bromocriptine, a selective agonist for D‐2 dopamine receptors. Bromocriptine resulted in task‐specific modulations of task‐related activity in three cognitive tasks. Across tasks, the overall effect of the drug was to reduce task‐related activity. We also observed drug effects on behavior that correlated with individual differences in memory span. We argue that bromocriptine may show both task‐specifc modulation and task‐general inhibition of neural activity due to dopaminergic neurotransmission. Hum. Brain Mapping 12:246–257, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.