The alpha-2A noradrenergic receptor agonist guanfacine improves visual object discrimination reversal performance in aged rhesus monkeys

Behav Neurosci. 1997 Oct;111(5):883-91. doi: 10.1037//0735-7044.111.5.883.

Abstract

Administration of either low or high doses of the alpha-2A adrenergic agonist guanfacine (GFC) to aged monkeys has been shown to improve performance of the delayed-response task, a task linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Monkeys treated with higher guanfacine doses also appeared less disinhibited, suggesting enhanced ventromedial-orbital PFC (vmPFC) function. To test this hypothesis, the current study examined the effects of low versus high doses of GFC on reversal of a visual object discrimination task, a task particularly sensitive to vmPFC lesions. The results of this study showed that high (0.1 mg/kg) but not low (0.00001-0.001 mg/kg) doses of GFC significantly improved reversal performance in aged monkeys. These results may be relevant to GFC's calming effects in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / pharmacology*
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Attention / drug effects
  • Attention / physiology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Discrimination Learning / drug effects*
  • Discrimination Learning / physiology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Guanfacine / pharmacology*
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Mental Recall / drug effects*
  • Mental Recall / physiology
  • Norepinephrine / physiology*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / drug effects*
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / drug effects*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / physiology
  • Reversal Learning / drug effects*
  • Reversal Learning / physiology

Substances

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2
  • Guanfacine
  • Norepinephrine