Methylphenidate Enhances Working Memory by Modulating Discrete Frontal and Parietal Lobe Regions in the Human Brain

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.20-06-j0004.2000
• Publication Date: 2018-04-04T19:50:36Z
• Authors: Mitul A. Mehta; Adrian M. Owen; Barbara J. Sahakian; Nahal Mavaddat; John D. Pickard; Trevor W. Robbins
• Keywords: Frontal lobe; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

The indirect catecholamine agonist methylphenidate (Ritalin) is the drug treatment of choice in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), one most common behavioral disorders childhood (DSM-IV), although symptoms may persist into adulthood.Methylphenidate can enhance cognitive performance adults and children diagnosed with AD/HD (Kempton et al., 1999;Riordan 1999) also normal human volunteers on tasks sensitive to frontal lobe damage, including aspects spatial working memory (SWM) (Elliott 1997).The present study investigated changes regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) induced by during a self-ordered SWM task define neuro-anatomical loci beneficial effect drug.The results show that methylphenidate-induced improvements occur task-related reductions rCBF dorsolateral prefrontal cortex posterior parietal cortex.The effects were greatest subjects lower baseline capacity.This our knowledge first demonstration localization drug-induced improvement humans has relevance for understanding AD/HD.