Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 25, Issue 17, Pages 4370-4374Publisher
SOC NEUROSCIENCE
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4437-04.2005
Keywords
action monitoring; prefrontal cortex; ERN; yohimbine; noradrenaline; human
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Funding
- ICREA Funding Source: Custom
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Noradrenergic neurotransmission has been associated with the modulation of higher cognitive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex. In the present study, the impact of noradrenergic stimulation on the human action-monitoring system, as indexed by event-related brain potentials, was examined. After the administration of a placebo or the selective alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine, which stimulates firing in the locus ceruleus and noradrenaline release, electroencephalograpic recordings were obtained from healthy volunteers performing a letter flanker task. Yohimbine led to an increase in the amplitude of the error-related negativity in conjunction with a significant reduction of action errors. Reaction times were unchanged, and the drug did not modify the N2 in congruent versus incongruent trials, a measure of preresponse conflict, or posterror adjustments as measured by posterror slowing of reaction time. The present findings suggest that the locus ceruleus - noradrenaline system exerts a rather specific effect on human action monitoring.
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