Dopamine and inhibitory action control: evidence from spontaneous eye blink rates

• Published in: Experimental brain research 2009-07, Vol.196 (3), p.467-474
• Main Authors: Colzato, Lorenza Serena, van den Wildenberg, Wery P. M, van Wouwe, Nelleke C, Pannebakker, Merel M, Hommel, Bernhard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blinking - physiology; Dopamine; Electrooculography - methods; Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision; Eye Movements - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Inhibition (Psychology); Male; Models, Biological; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Neurology; Neurosciences; Patients; Photic Stimulation - methods; Reaction Time - physiology; Research Note; Schizophrenia; Time Factors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-009-1862-x

The inhibitory control of actions has been claimed to rely on dopaminergic pathways. Given that this hypothesis is mainly based on patient and drug studies, some authors have questioned its validity and suggested that beneficial effects of dopaminergic stimulants on response inhibition may be limited to cases of suboptimal inhibitory functioning. We present evidence that, in carefully selected healthy adults, spontaneous eyeblink rate, a marker of central dopaminergic functioning, reliably predicts the efficiency in inhibiting unwanted action tendencies in a stop-signal task. These findings support the assumption of a modulatory role for dopamine in inhibitory action control.