Effects of dextroamphetamine on cognitive performance and cortical activation
Abstract
Monoaminergic neurotransmitters are known to have modulatory effects on cognition and on neurophysiological function in the cortex. The current study was performed with BOLD fMRI to examine physiological correlates of the effects of dextroamphetamine on working-memory performance in healthy controls. In a group analysis dextroamphetamine increased BOLD signal in the right prefrontal cortex during a task with increasing working-memory load that approached working-memory capacity. However, the effect of dextroamphetamine on performance and on signal change varied across individuals. Dextroamphetamine improved performance only in those subjects who had relatively low working-memory capacity at baseline, whereas in the subjects who had high working-memory capacity at baseline, it worsened performance. In subjects whose performance deteriorated, signal change was greater than that in subjects who had an improvement in performance, and these variations were correlated (Spearman rho = 0.89, P<0.02). These data shed light on the manner in which monoaminergic tone, working memory, and prefrontal function interact and, moreover, demonstrate that even in normal subjects the behavioral and neurophysiologic effects of dextroamphetamine are not homogeneous. These heterogeneic effects of dextroamphetamine may be explained by genetic variations that interact with the effects of dextroamphetamine.
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Students without ADHD may experience worsened attention and neuropsychological abilities from too much dopamine resulting from NPS.
“Students without ADHD may even experience worsened attention and neuropsychological abilities from too much dopamine that results from NPS (Mattay et al., 2000).”
From Effects of stimulant medication on neuropsychological functioning in college students without ADHD. (2026) · cites this paper as Mattay et al., 2000
Dexamphetamine (0.25 mg/kg) enhanced SWM performance on n-back tests in subjects with lower baseline capacity, while it impaired SWM performance in subjects with relatively higher baseline capacity.
“dexamphetamine (0.25 mg/kg) enhanced SWM performance on n‐back tests in those subjects who had lower baseline capacity, while it impaired SWM performance in those subjects who had relatively higher baseline capacity”
From Systematic reviews of the acute effects of amphetamine on working memory and other cognitive performances in healthy individuals, with a focus on the potential influence of personality traits (2023) · cites this paper as Mattay et al., 2000
Effects of methylphenidate and related drugs on cognition are baseline performance-dependent.
“Based on accumulating evidence that effects of methylphenidate and related drugs on cognition are baseline performance-dependent (Kimberg et al., 1997; Mattay et al., 2000; Mehta et al., 2000; Gibbs and D’Esposito, 2005; Tipper et al., 2005; Finke et al., 2010), changes in sustained attention following methylphenidate were assessed as a function of baseline A’ scores, independent of group.”
From A positron emission tomography study of nigro-striatal dopaminergic mechanisms underlying attention: implications for ADHD and its treatment (2013) · cites this paper as Mattay et al., 2000
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“…Carter, 2005 (Single and dual tasks) 0.25 mg/kg 21 36.6 � 8.7 Improved RT but not accuracy No SWM Pickworth et al., 1997a SAST 10 and 30 mg 8 34.1 No No SWM Mattay et al., 2000 n‐back 0.25 mg/kg 10 30 No No SWM Wardle et al., 2013 n‐back 5, 10 and 20 mg 99 23.3 � 3.3 No No SWM Ilieva et al.,…”
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- Authors
- Mattay, V. S., Callicott, J. H., Bertolino, A., Heaton, I., Frank, J. A., Coppola, R., Berman, K. F., Goldberg, T. E., & Weinberger, D. R.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mattay, Venkata S.
- ORCID
- Venue
- NeuroImage
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-09
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 268-275
- ISSN
- 1053-8119 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2120548621
- Cited by
- 296
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 3.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- NeuroImage (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Bari Aldo Moro) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- d-amphetamine, working memory, prefrontal cortex, monoamines, individual differences, working memory capacity, BOLD signal, cortical activation, genetic variation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Cerebral Cortex, Cognition, Dextroamphetamine, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Individuality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Psychomotor Performance, Cross-Over Studies
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