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Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
Published on: June 20, 2012
[Roles of alpha-2 adrenoceptor in prefrontal cortical cognitive functions]
1Laboratory of Neurobiology, Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031.
Abstract:
Studies in non-human primates have demonstrated that norepinephrine can improve, through actions at postsynaptical alpha-2A adrenoceptors, cognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex, such as attentional regulation, working memory and response inhibition. Several psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), show prominent syndromes seen in cognitive deficits of the prefrontal cortex. These basic studies help develop novel pharmacotherapies for psychiatric disorders such as ADHD.
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