PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Riba, Jordi
AU  - Rodríguez-Fornells, Antoni
AU  - Morte, Adelaida
AU  - Münte, Thomas F.
AU  - Barbanoj, Manel J.
TI  - Noradrenergic Stimulation Enhances Human Action Monitoring
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4437-04.2005
DP  - 2005 Apr 27
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 4370--4374
VI  - 25
IP  - 17
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/17/4370.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/25/17/4370.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.2005 Apr 27; 25
AB  - 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 α2-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.