In conclusion , a number of new active drugs were found to improve some cognitive functions , in particular verbal episodic memory .
Pharmacological cognitive enhancement refers to improvement in cognitive functions after drug use in healthy individuals .
This popular topic attracts attention both from the general public and the scientific community .
The objective was to explore innovative mechanisms of psychostimulant 's action , whose potential effectiveness was assessed in r and omized placebo-controlled trials ( RCTs ) .
Levodopa increases memory encoding and dopamine release in the striatum in the elderly
Normal aging is associated with a decrease in dopaminergic function and a reduced ability to form new motor memories with training . This study examined the link between both phenomena . We hypothesized that levodopa would ( a ) ameliorate aging-dependent deficits in motor memory formation , and ( b ) increase dopamine availability at the dopamine type 2-like ( D2 ) receptor during training in task-relevant brain structures . The effects of training plus levodopa ( 100 mg , plus 25 mg carbidopa ) on motor memory formation and striatal dopamine availability were measured with [(11)C]raclopride ( RAC ) positron emission tomography ( PET ) . We found that levodopa did not alter RAC-binding potential at rest but it enhanced training effects on motor memory formation as well as dopamine release in the dorsal cau date nucleus . Motor memory formation during training correlated with the increase of dopamine release in the cau date nucleus . These results demonstrate that levodopa may ameliorate dopamine deficiencies  in the elderly by replenishing dopaminergic presynaptic stores , actively engaged in phasic dopamine release during motor training
In conclusion , a number of new active drugs were found to improve some cognitive functions , in particular verbal episodic memory .
Pharmacological cognitive enhancement refers to improvement in cognitive functions after drug use in healthy individuals .
This popular topic attracts attention both from the general public and the scientific community .
The objective was to explore innovative mechanisms of psychostimulant 's action , whose potential effectiveness was assessed in r and omized placebo-controlled trials ( RCTs ) .