Levodopa: Faster and better word learning in normal humans

Knecht S, Breitenstein C, Bushuven S, Wailke S, Kamping S, Flöel A, Zwitserlood P, Ringelstein EB

Forschungsartikel (Zeitschrift) | Peer reviewed

Zusammenfassung

Dopamine is a potent modulator of learning and has been implicated in the encoding of stimulus salience. Repetition, however, as required for the acquisition and reacquisition of sensorimotor or cognitive skills (e.g., in aphasia therapy), decreases salience. We here tested whether increasing brain levels of dopamine during repetitive training improves learning success. Forty healthy humans took 100mg of the dopamine precursor levodopa or placebo daily for 5 days in a randomized double-blind and parallel-group design. Ninety minutes later on each day, subjects were trained on an artificial vocabulary using a high-frequency repetitive approach. Levodopa significantly enhanced the speed, overall success, and long-term retention of novel word learning in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicate new ways to potentiate learning in a variety of domains if conventional training alone fails.

Details zur Publikation

FachzeitschriftAnnals of Neurology
Jahrgang / Bandnr. / Volume56
Ausgabe / Heftnr. / Issue1
Seitenbereich20-26
StatusVeröffentlicht
Veröffentlichungsjahr2004 (31.07.2004)
Sprache, in der die Publikation verfasst istEnglisch
DOI10.1002/ana.20125
Stichwörterdopamine-receptor agonist parkinsons-disease prefrontal cortex working-memory cortical plasticity incentive salience cognitive function brain-injury d1 bromocriptine

Autor*innen der Universität Münster

Zwitserlood, Pienie
Professur für Psycholinguistik und kognitive Neurowissenschaft (Prof. Zwitserlood)