Dopaminergic enhancement of reward-related spontaneous fMRI reinstatement in aging

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

Persistence of encoding-related neural patterns into periods of rest supports subsequent episodic memory. We tested a role of dopamine in enhancing hippocampal pattern reinstatement and memory in aging using simultaneous functional MRI/[11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) at baseline and following oral methylphenidate (n = 46, mean age = 69).
Pharmacologically increasing dopamine improved memory and increased reward-related hippocampal pattern reinstatement in older adults. Further, spontaneous reinstatement was correlated with both baseline D2/3 receptor binding and memory, which provides insight into the mechanisms by which dopamine augmentation may improve memory in aging.