Dommett Eleanor J, Henderson Emma L, Westwell Martin S, Greenfield Susan A
Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, United Kingdom.
Learn Mem. 2008 Aug 6;15(8):580-6. doi: 10.1101/lm.1092608. Print 2008 Aug.
Methylphenidate treatment is used for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and can improve learning and memory. Previously, improvements were considered a by-product of increased attention; however, we hypothesize that methylphenidate directly alters mechanisms underlying learning and memory, and therefore examined its effects on hippocampal long-term potentiation and long-term depression. Methylphenidate enhanced both mechanisms in the absence of presynaptic changes and in a noradrenalin beta-receptor-dependent manner. These findings can explain both the improved learning and memory and decreased learning selectivity found with methylphenidate treatment and constitute the first demonstration of direct actions of methylphenidate on mechanisms implicated in cognition.
哌醋甲酯治疗用于注意力缺陷多动障碍，可改善学习和记忆。此前，人们认为改善是注意力增强的副产品；然而，我们推测哌醋甲酯直接改变学习和记忆的潜在机制，因此研究了其对海马体长期增强和长期抑制的影响。哌醋甲酯在不存在突触前变化的情况下以去甲肾上腺素β受体依赖性方式增强了这两种机制。这些发现可以解释哌醋甲酯治疗带来的学习和记忆改善以及学习选择性降低，并首次证明了哌醋甲酯对认知相关机制的直接作用。
