Dopamine effects on memory load and distraction during visuospatial working memory in cognitively normal Parkinson's disease.

ABSTRACT: Visuospatial working memory (WM) impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are more prominent and evolve earlier than verbal WM deficits, suggesting some differences in underlying pathology. WM is regulated by dopaminergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex, but the effect of dopamine on specific processes supporting visuospatial WM are not well understood. Dopamine therapeutic effects on different WM processes may also differ given the heterogeneity of cognitive changes in PD. The present study examined the effect of dopamine therapy on memory load and distraction during visuospatial WM. Exploratory analyses evaluated whether individual differences in medication effects were associated with a gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which regulates prefrontal cortex dopamine level

SUBMITTER: Bayram E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8021591 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature