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Central Sympathetic Nervous System Effects on Cognitive-Motor Performance.

Johannes B Finke1,2, Hartmut Schächinger1

  • 1Institute of Psychobiology, Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.

Experimental Psychology
|July 31, 2020
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals how central sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation impacts cognitive performance. Modulating SNS activity with drugs altered reaction times differently based on task complexity, highlighting a nonlinear relationship.

Keywords:
Paced Auditory Serial Addition Taskalpha2-adrenoreceptorsattentioncognitive performancenoradrenergic systemreaction timestress

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The influence of acute stress on cognitive functions, particularly memory, is well-documented, primarily focusing on glucocorticoid effects.
  • Less research has explored the direct impact of central sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation on cognitive performance.
  • The relationship between arousal, task complexity, and performance modulation by SNS activity requires further mechanistic investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal effects of central sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation on cognitive performance across tasks of varying complexity.
  • To examine the dose-response relationship of SNS modulation on reaction time (RT) using pharmacologic agents.

Main Methods:

  • A placebo-controlled, within-subject study involving 12 healthy men.
  • Intravenous infusions of dexmedetomidine (alpha2-agonist) and yohimbine (alpha2-antagonist) to modulate central SNS tone.
  • Assessment of subjective/objective SNS indices and reaction times in simple RT, choice RT, and complex mental arithmetic tasks.

Main Results:

  • Alpha2-agonism (dexmedetomidine) impaired cognitive performance across all tested task complexities.
  • Yohimbine administration improved simple RT but diminished performance in complex RT tasks.
  • These findings support a nonlinear effect of SNS activity on cognitive performance, dependent on task characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • Central SNS activation significantly impacts cognitive-motor performance in reaction time tasks.
  • The effect of SNS modulation on performance is task-dependent, exhibiting a nonlinear relationship with complexity.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for cognitive neuroscience and stress-related research.