BACKGROUND Catecholamines are important for cognitive control and the ability to adapt behavior (e.g., after response errors). A prominent drug that modulates the catecholaminergic system is methylphenidate. On the basis of theoretical consideration, we propose that the effects of methylphenidate on behavioral adaptation depend on prior learning experience. METHODS In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study design, we examined the effect of methylphenidate (0.25 mg/kg) on post error behavioral adaptation processes in a group of n = 43 healthy young adults. Behavioral adaptation processes were examined in a working memory, modulated response selection task. The focus of the analysis was on order effects within the crossover study design to evaluate effects of prior learning/task experience. RESULTS The effect of methylphenidate/placebo on post-error behavioral adaptation processes reverses depending on prior task experience. When there was no prior experience with the task, methylphenidate increased post-error slowing and thus intensified behavioral adaptation processes. However, when there was prior task experience, (i.e., when the placebo session was conducted first in the crossover design), methylphenidate even decreased post-error slowing and behavioral adaptation. Effect sizes were large and the power of the observed effects was higher than 95%. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that catecholaminergic effects on cognitive control functions vary as a function of prior learning/task experience. The data establish a close link between learning/task familiarization and catecholaminergic effects for executive functions, which has not yet been studied, to our knowledge, but is of considerable clinical relevance. Theoretical implications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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学习经验逆转了儿茶酚胺能对适应行为的影响。

背景技术儿茶酚胺对于认知控制和适应行为的能力（例如，在反应错误后）很重要。调节儿茶酚胺能系统的主要药物是哌醋甲酯。基于理论上的考虑，我们建议哌醋甲酯对行为适应的影响取决于先前的学习经验。方法在一项双盲，随机，安慰剂对照的交叉研究设计中，我们检查了哌醋甲酯（0.25 mg / kg）对43例健康的年轻成年人的错误后行为适应过程的影响。行为适应过程在工作记忆，调节响应选择任务中进行了检查。分析的重点是交叉研究设计中的顺序效应，以评估先前学习/任务经验的效应。结果哌醋甲酯/安慰剂对错误后行为适应过程的影响取决于先前的工作经验而相反。如果以前没有完成该任务的经验，哌醋甲酯会增加错误发生后的速度，从而加剧行为适应过程。但是，如果有以前的工作经验（即，在交叉设计中首次进行安慰剂治疗时），哌醋甲酯甚至可以减少错误发生后的减慢和行为适应。效果大小很大，观察到的效果的功效高于95％。结论数据表明儿茶酚胺能对认知控制功能的影响随先前的学习/任务经验而变化。这些数据在学习/任务熟悉度和儿茶酚胺能对执行功能的影响之间建立了紧密的联系，就我们所知，尚未进行过研究，但具有相当大的临床意义。理论意义进行了讨论。