Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Inverted-U–Shaped Dopamine Actions on Human Working Memory and Cognitive Control

2011; Elsevier BV; Volume: 69; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.03.028

1873-2402

Roshan Cools, Mark D’Esposito,

Neural dynamics and brain function

In summary, DA plays a critical role in cognitive control, which is a multifactorial phenomenon that requires a dynamic balance between flexible updating and cognitive stabilization. Understanding the precise effects of DA on these subcomponent processes is not straightforward, partly because the relationship between DA and performance is nonlinear and inverted-U–shaped, with both excessive as well as insufficient levels impairing performance. In addition, effects of DA depend on the brain region that is targeted, with modulation of one and the same brain region having paradoxical consequences for different subcomponent processes. Specifically, we have put forward a working hypothesis that DA might act at the striatum and the PFC to facilitate flexible updating and cognitive stabilization, respectively. Although this hypothesis likely reflects an oversimplified view of the complex effects of DA on working memory and cognitive control (with different forms of flexible updating implicating distinct neural and neurochemical systems), we believe that it provides a plausible starting point for further empirical work.