Abstract
The mixedα 1/α 2 adrenoceptor agonist clonidine has been shown by us previously to impair certain attentional and executive functions in healthy volunteers. The present investigation examines the effects of theα 2 adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan (IDZ) on cognitive function in patients with dementia of frontal type (DFT). Using a placebo-controlled ABBA design, three DFT patients were given two doses of IDZ and tested on a range of computerised tests of attention, memory and executive function. Idazoxan was found to produce dose-dependent improvements in performance, particularly on tests of planning, sustained attention, verbal fluency and episodic memory. In contrast, IDZ produced deficits in performance on a test of spatial working memory. These results suggest that IDZ may be useful as a putative cognitive enhancer, particularly in patients showing a specific pattern of frontal lobe dysfunction.
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Coull, J.T., Sahakian, B.J. & Hodges, J.R. Theα 2 antagonist idazoxan remediates certain attentional and executive dysfunction in patients with dementia of frontal type. Psychopharmacology 123, 239–249 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246578
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246578