Independent effects of age and levodopa on reversal learning in healthy volunteers

The dopamine overdose hypothesis has provided an important theoretical framework for understanding cognition in Parkinson ’s disease. It posits that effects of dopaminergic therapy on cognition in Parkinson’s disease depend on baseline dopamine levels in brain regions that support different functions. Whereas functions performed by more severely dopamine-depleted brain regions improve with medication, those associa ted with less dopamine deficient areas are actually worsened. It is presumed that medication-related worsening of cognition owes to dopamine overdose.
Source: Neurobiology of Aging - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research