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Pharmacological manipulation of human working memory
1Department of Psychology, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, Box 1125, St Louis, MO 63130, USA.
Psychopharmacology
|June 19, 2004
Summary
Pharmacological agents targeting dopamine and acetylcholine systems show promise for enhancing working memory in schizophrenia. Further research is needed to develop more selective receptor-targeting drugs for cognitive enhancement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Working memory deficits are a core symptom in schizophrenia.
- Developing pro-cognitive drugs is crucial for improving functional outcomes in schizophrenia patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review human studies on pharmacological agents for working memory enhancement.
- To identify promising drug targets for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of human studies.
- Analysis of agents targeting dopamine, noradrenergic, acetylcholine, serotonin, and NMDA receptor systems.
Main Results:
- Dopamine agents show potential for working memory enhancement, but receptor specificity and baseline performance effects require clarification.
- Cholinesterase inhibitors consistently improve working memory, possibly via enhanced information encoding.
- Noradrenergic alpha-2 agonists show inconsistent effects in humans, contrasting with animal data.
- Limited evidence supports NMDA receptor glycine site agents; serotonin enhancement may impair working memory.
Conclusions:
- Dopamine and acetylcholine system-targeting compounds are promising for cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia.
- Further research should focus on developing agents with greater receptor selectivity.
- Targeting specific neurotransmitter systems offers a viable strategy for addressing cognitive deficits.