Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention.
BACKGROUND:Dopamine and dopamine transporters (DAT, which regulate extracellular dopamine in the brain) are implicated in the modulation of attention but their specific roles are not well understood. Here we hypothesized that dopamine modulates attention by facilitation of brain deactivation in the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2009-06-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2699543?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819261708479234048 |
|---|---|
| author | Dardo Tomasi Nora D Volkow Ruiliang Wang Frank Telang Gene-Jack Wang Linda Chang Thomas Ernst Joanna S Fowler |
| author_facet | Dardo Tomasi Nora D Volkow Ruiliang Wang Frank Telang Gene-Jack Wang Linda Chang Thomas Ernst Joanna S Fowler |
| author_sort | Dardo Tomasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND:Dopamine and dopamine transporters (DAT, which regulate extracellular dopamine in the brain) are implicated in the modulation of attention but their specific roles are not well understood. Here we hypothesized that dopamine modulates attention by facilitation of brain deactivation in the default mode network (DMN). Thus, higher striatal DAT levels, which would result in an enhanced clearance of dopamine and hence weaker dopamine signals, would be associated to lower deactivation in the DMN during an attention task. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:For this purpose we assessed the relationship between DAT in striatum (measured with positron emission tomography and [(11)C]cocaine used as DAT radiotracer) and brain activation and deactivation during a parametric visual attention task (measured with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging) in healthy controls. We show that DAT availability in caudate and putamen had a negative correlation with deactivation in ventral parietal regions of the DMN (precuneus, BA 7) and a positive correlation with deactivation in a small region in the ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 24/32). With increasing attentional load, DAT in caudate showed a negative correlation with load-related deactivation increases in precuneus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:These findings provide evidence that dopamine transporters modulate neural activity in the DMN and anterior cingulate gyrus during visuospatial attention. Our findings suggest that dopamine modulates attention in part by regulating neuronal activity in posterior parietal cortex including precuneus (region involved in alertness) and cingulate gyrus (region deactivated in proportion to emotional interference). These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of stimulant medications (increase dopamine by blocking DAT) in inattention reflect in part their ability to facilitate the deactivation of the DMN. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:46:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3e3fdd379e1c40319762dd2e64901b56 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T19:46:06Z |
| publishDate | 2009-06-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-3e3fdd379e1c40319762dd2e64901b562022-12-21T17:33:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032009-06-0146e610210.1371/journal.pone.0006102Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention.Dardo TomasiNora D VolkowRuiliang WangFrank TelangGene-Jack WangLinda ChangThomas ErnstJoanna S FowlerBACKGROUND:Dopamine and dopamine transporters (DAT, which regulate extracellular dopamine in the brain) are implicated in the modulation of attention but their specific roles are not well understood. Here we hypothesized that dopamine modulates attention by facilitation of brain deactivation in the default mode network (DMN). Thus, higher striatal DAT levels, which would result in an enhanced clearance of dopamine and hence weaker dopamine signals, would be associated to lower deactivation in the DMN during an attention task. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:For this purpose we assessed the relationship between DAT in striatum (measured with positron emission tomography and [(11)C]cocaine used as DAT radiotracer) and brain activation and deactivation during a parametric visual attention task (measured with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging) in healthy controls. We show that DAT availability in caudate and putamen had a negative correlation with deactivation in ventral parietal regions of the DMN (precuneus, BA 7) and a positive correlation with deactivation in a small region in the ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 24/32). With increasing attentional load, DAT in caudate showed a negative correlation with load-related deactivation increases in precuneus. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:These findings provide evidence that dopamine transporters modulate neural activity in the DMN and anterior cingulate gyrus during visuospatial attention. Our findings suggest that dopamine modulates attention in part by regulating neuronal activity in posterior parietal cortex including precuneus (region involved in alertness) and cingulate gyrus (region deactivated in proportion to emotional interference). These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of stimulant medications (increase dopamine by blocking DAT) in inattention reflect in part their ability to facilitate the deactivation of the DMN.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2699543?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Dardo Tomasi Nora D Volkow Ruiliang Wang Frank Telang Gene-Jack Wang Linda Chang Thomas Ernst Joanna S Fowler Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. PLoS ONE |
| title | Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. |
| title_full | Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. |
| title_fullStr | Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. |
| title_short | Dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention. |
| title_sort | dopamine transporters in striatum correlate with deactivation in the default mode network during visuospatial attention |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2699543?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dardotomasi dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT noradvolkow dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT ruiliangwang dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT franktelang dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT genejackwang dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT lindachang dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT thomasernst dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention AT joannasfowler dopaminetransportersinstriatumcorrelatewithdeactivationinthedefaultmodenetworkduringvisuospatialattention |