Published in:
01-04-2019 | Electroencephalography | Original Article
Methylphenidate modifies activity in the prefrontal and parietal cortex accelerating the time judgment
Authors:
Tiago Lopes Farias, Victor Marinho, Valécia Carvalho, Kaline Rocha, Paulo Ramiler Alves da Silva, Francisca Silva, Ariel Soares Teles, Daya Gupta, Pedro Ribeiro, Bruna Velasques, Mauricio Cagy, Victor Hugo Bastos, Fernando Silva-Junior, Silmar Teixeira
Published in:
Neurological Sciences
|
Issue 4/2019
Login to get access
Abstract
Methylphenidate produces its effects via actions on cortical areas involved with attention and working memory, which have a direct role in time estimation judgment tasks. In particular, the prefrontal and parietal cortex has been the target of several studies to understand the effect of methylphenidate on executive functions and time interval perception. However, it has not yet been studied whether acute administration of methylphenidate influences performance in time estimation task and the changes in alpha band absolute power in the prefrontal and parietal cortex. The current study investigates the influence of the acute use of methylphenidate in both performance and judgment in the time estimation interpretation through the alpha band absolute power activity in the prefrontal and parietal cortex. This is a double-blind, crossover study with a sample of 32 subjects under control (placebo) and experimental (methylphenidate) conditions with absolute alpha band power analysis during a time estimation task. We observed that methylphenidate does not influence task performance (p > 0.05), but it increases the time interval underestimation by over 7 s (p < 0.001) with a concomitant decrease in absolute alpha band power in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex (p < 0.001). Acute use of methylphenidate increases the time interval underestimation, consistent with reduced accuracy of the internal clock mechanisms. Furthermore, acute use of methylphenidate influences the absolute alpha band power over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and parietal cortex.