Dopamine and cognitive functioning: brain imaging findings in Huntington's disease and normal aging

Recent brain imaging studies in Huntington's disease (HD) and normal aging suggest a relationship between central dopaminergic neurotransmission and cognitive performance. Results demonstrate substantial losses in dopamine (DA) function in both HD and aging. Moreover, HD patients and older adults show deficits across multiple cognitive domains, including episodic memory, speed of processing, and executive functioning. Although few studies are available at present, there is converging evidence that multiple measures of pre- and postsynaptic DA biochemistry are (a) highly interrelated, and (b) strongly associated with the cognitive deficits that accompany HD and aging. There is also emerging evidence that DA neurotransmission influences cognitive performance independent of HD or age. In general, the research reviewed in this article indicates that the nigrostriatal DA system is an important component of a frontostriatal circuitry that is critically involved in cognitive functioning.